


Sleeping Sanatorium

by Okikokku



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Mental Instability, Self-Harm, Stockholm Syndrome, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2019-10-01 11:13:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 64,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17243216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okikokku/pseuds/Okikokku
Summary: The world outside was nothing more than an untasted and forbidden fruit for Sans as his small room was the only place he could ever call home. It was more than damaging to his mind that the males parental figure had kept him locked within the confides of his own personal hell for as long as the joke loving boy could remember.But, a sudden change in scenery throws the characters life on an axis as everything his dad had ever taught him gets debunked through the acts of a certain kind hearted stranger.Papyrus himself just prays that he can help mend his new friends broken mind before the demons surrounding his damaged form drag Sans into an early grave.Fontcest. Sansby





	1. Let It Be Known That This Isn't The Ending

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer : I don't own Undertale or any of it's characters.

The room was oddly warm as a blackened barrier closed around the small form on the bed in four even sized walls. The snow falling outside was forbidden from entering the inner sanctum of the home as the thick panel that wrapped around the closed window kept the cold flakes at bay, but it was paid no mind as a petite figure huddled deeper into his white blankets with a sleepy groan.

It was far too hot from his spot under the thick comforter and caused the white haired character's lungs to contract from their spot under the protective barrier of his rib cage as each breath became harder and harder to take from the sheer heat wrapping around his body. Mouth dry, limbs aching, and mind replaying nothing more than static as the blizzard outside filled his eardrums, the young looking boy finally allowed his arms to rise and peel back his blanket from his face.

Once free of the thick confines of the warm sheet, the small boy sucked in a sharp breath of air before sitting himself up and rubbing a palm over his crust filled eyes. The blue orbs directed themselves around for a short moment with a suppressed yawn before landing on the small notebook next to his bed with a relaxed smile, grabbing the only new looking object in the room slowly before pushing up his pillows against the beds headrest and leaning against them.

The small hand grabbed the pen that was stored in the books metal wrapped spine and opened it to the newest empty page, eyes not bothering to take in the drawings and poorly constructed sentences on the other sheets as he stopped on a clean slate and clicked the bottom of his writing utensil, bringing the ink edge into view and allowing him to write on the crisp paper without any further requirements.

"hmmm." Humming of a random tune began to fill the room softly as the boys newest dream was translated into the book with pictures and the occasional word. Eventually the previously white canvas was etched with a blackened figure hovering over a small rabbit, one that seemed to be almost cowering in fear from the indistinguishable character as the word 'home' circled the two drawings in a repetitive fashion. The boy then made quick work of shutting the book and placing the now slightly more filled item onto the wooden nightstand as a soft knock erupted on the small door placed on the other side of the room.

His blue orbs directed themselves at the wire covered doorknob with a smile as the figure on the other side finally entered, a tray was placed in the tall mans lean arms as he smiled in turn and walked towards the bed. The light switch by the door was never touched as the two relied solely on the rays of sunlight that filled the room from its origin outside. "hi daddy!"

The boy smiled as the tray was placed on his lap and an assortment of foods were presented to him. "Good morning, my boy."

The elder man ran a thin hand over the shorter's thick locks with a smile of his own as the child grabbed the bacon and began shoveling it into his mouth without a hint of manners, having not eaten since the night prior was beginning to turn the young males stomach after all, so he didn't care about how messy he may seem as he tried to fit as much of the over cooked food into his mouth as possible with his hands alone. Especially considering no eating utensils were offered.

Although, the child on the bed had never seen what a utensil even was as his life was a little contrived what with him being unable to leave the confined living space ever since he had entered it five whole years ago. Not that the young boy knew that such a thing was wrong since the man currently hovering over his tiny form had never taught him any different. "How was your sleep, my prince?"

"good. had a dream." The shorter responded after swallowing a mouthful of food with the help of a gulp of orange juice. His hands were watched by a set of different colored eyes as he licked his tongue over one of the grease covered phalanges in an attempt to cleanse his hands of the slippery liquid. "bout a bunny and a man."

"That sounds nice. Was I the man?" The boy stopped eating for a moment to squint his eyes gently and shake his head softly.

"no... it was another man." The older scoffed as the boy looked nervously down at his plate of apple slices, already knowing how the elder was going to respond upon hearing such words leaving his mouth.

"My boy, you know that it's just you and me. Correct?" The child nodded in agreement at the statement, his eyes remaining downcast until a large hand wrapped around his chin and propelled his face upwards so his wide eyes locked onto the mans techni-colored own. "So pretty, my prince... I am so very lucky to have you."

A soft kiss was planted on the child's forehead as the hand remained firmly planted under the young boys chin. The younger smiled himself at the praise before grabbing an apple and placing it into his mouth, allowing the parent to run his hands over his cheeks and hair as he finished his meal before the tray was taken away and set on the table side next to his bed. Once the metal and shiny looking board was off the child's lap he didn't have to wait before being hoisted into the taller's arms and carted off towards the back of the room, where a small faucet was placed next to a toilet and bucket.

The child did what was expected of him and removed his clothing as the adult filled the bucket with warm water before grabbing a sponge and filling the material with soap. The soft object was then gently rubbed against the child's skin in small circles to cleanse the slightly sweaty epidermis for a few moments longer than what should of been necessary before wrapping the child in a light blue towel and carrying him to the bed once more.

Small hands dried his own form as his blue eyes watched the taller walk over to the closet in the corner of the room and unlock the wardrobe by clicking in the three digit combination and choosing an outfit for the boy who was currently ruffling the thick towel through his unkempt hair. The boy was well aware of what the pass code for the clothing box was, but wasn't about to voice it as it took the child several months to figure out how to break into that drawer.

The reward for figuring out such a thing wasn't really worth it however, as it was the same 7 outfits he had been accustomed too over the years and a single pair of underwear that he was permitted to wear only when the room grew too hot in the summer time. But it was something that filled the void of boredom that constantly dwelled in the boys soul for a short while, even if the payoff could of been a little better.

"I'm thinking pink today, how does that sound?" The man asked with his back turned to the now dry child, who made a noise of agreement as even if he hadn't said anything his word meant nothing in regards to what clothing he was permitted to wear. Yet another reason as to why his quest in figuring out that the three digits on the lock were simply 8-6-1 was nothing more than a pointless endeavor. "Here we are."

The man turned back around after closing the closet once more and obscuring the child's view of what contents it held as he wasted no time in walking back towards the bed and setting the pink t-shirt and a pair black shorts onto the bed by the child's side, waiting for the boy to put the articles on before sitting himself back down and pulling the tiny figure close to his chest in a hug. "Daddy has to go for a bit today, my prince. Will you be alright on your own?"

"yup." The younger responded softly as he closed his eyes, simply enjoying the gentle caresses as they were nothing more than a routine at this point with how repetitive his fathers actions happened to be on a daily basis.

"Good boy." A final kiss was planted on the child's forehead before the man got up, grabbed the dirty clothes from the floor and left the bedroom with a light click of the doors locking mechanism latching into place. Not that the lock was even required, the boy thought as he resumed his earlier position in the bed without a word, as the doorknob sent a shock wave of pain throughout his arm if he were to ever touch it.

But it was for the best as the child knew his curiosity would get the better of him eventually if such precautions weren't set into place. His blue eyes gently took a final look at closed door with a sigh as the thought of leaving was nothing more than that. A thought. For his father had told him time and time again that if he left he wouldn't last more than a minute with the monsters that covered the Earths surface.

They ate all the other people on the planet already, and were not a force that he wanted to trifle with. He had his dad at least, and that was all he needed.

At least, that's what the boy had to convince himself of every night as the sky darkened and the need to leave the room overpowered his mind. Monsters gave him such thoughts of wishing to leave the comforting home according to his parent, and the boy couldn't let them win. Not if he wanted to stay out of the nightmare world outside and in the safety of his fathers arms.

\-----15 Years Later------

The sharp tip of a broken mirror felt like ecstasy on a small males wrist as a set of half lidded orbs watched the red streams leak from the now open wounds in a sick form of self satisfaction. The blue eyes squinted in pain as his bright white teeth shone in an ever present smile as the barely visible sun from outside reflected off the bones surface and made his tear filled eyes light up in a way that made them relatable to that of the ocean.

A white sleeve was stained with the mans own vital fluid as the character currently gripping the shard of glass attempted to hide the bloody wrist with the much too long yet very tight shirt. It was pointless to do so though, as his father would notice the wound in a heart beat, but this particular male didn't care at the moment. This small act, although it left a permanent mark on his skin, helped to bleed his demons out of his form for a short moment of relaxation and relief.

They always came back, of course. That was something the male knew all too well as he lazily threw the now stained shard of glass into the sink by his bathing bucket without care. It had taken the now twenty year old several months of begging for his parent to get him a mirror for the sole purpose of seeing what he looked like, but it was something that the adult soon regretted as his own reflection didn't look anything like his fathers.

It was ugly. It was scary. It was him, he thought through a sniff as he sat himself back onto his bed and huddled into his form. The male hated how he looked, and he didn't get how his father could constantly praise him on his appearance when he looked so ugly. His features were far too large and soft looking while the parents were small and chiseled. The male sighed softly however as the realization that his father was going to be mad at him hit the short adult like a truck.

The parent never took it well when his son hurt himself, and in turn tended to play the one game that the younger male hated playing. It was different than when he was washed, but required the same tasks. The tasks being him stripping himself free of his clothing only this game required him to be blinded by a thin wrap of material before he could do nothing but clench his teeth and allow his father to do whatever he pleased with his form.

But it always made the taller more happy, he thought with a bite of his lip. And when his father was happy, he was happy.

The daily knocking on the door erupted throughout the room suddenly, and the young man on the bed braced his form as he closed his eyes shut with a small sigh. There was no use in bothering to hide his damaged wrists from the elder as he simply watched the door open as he hugged his arms around his chest in a weak form of protection.

\-----------------------------------------------

Frantic gasps of pain erupted from a small figures form as a hand clenched around the left half of his face, obscuring the taller's view of the now gaping hole by his nose as the elder simply tsked in annoyance. "I warned you. You need to treat your body better. Or else there will be repercussions."

"ngh... daddy... i-i'm sorry..." The other male panted as blood seeped through his fingers and covered the ground he was hovering over. The hole in the younger's face where an eye had been just moments ago was rippling with pain as the other orb was wide with tears and shock as his brain refused to shut down even as his head experienced the worst feeling he had ever felt. "w-why... it hurts..."

"You were bad, love. And you needed to be punished. I'm sorry... But now you know not to hurt what doesn't belong to you, correct?" The younger nodded frantically in agreement which prompted a trail of blood to fly around and land on the taller's black leather shoes. This then made the taller let out another huff of annoyance as he bent down and forcefully removed the small hands from their spot on his sons blood covered face.

"no! it hurts!" The shorter cried as the other sighed and grabbed a gauze from his pocket, placing the medical swab tightly on the now screaming males face as he attempted to stop the bleeding. "daddy!"

"Hush, my prince. You're fine. I've got you." The younger continued to scream and struggle in the elders grasp until the taller eventually got sick of his child's movements and quickly pulled an already filled syringe from the inner part of his coat. The lid of the needle was removed from the end by the elders teeth before the sharp metal was plunged into the erratic males arm, who didn't even notice the small sting as the feeling in his skull overpowered it ten fold. "Shhh, shhhh..."

The younger males screams slowly quieted before his only remaining eye slid shut. The last thing that projected into the short males mind before he was thankfully wrapped into the soft clutches of sleep was that he needed to apologize to his father, and pray each night for his eye to grow back.

\-----------------------------------------

Papyrus sighed to himself gently as he leaned back into his seat, the radio in front of his form was silent as any possible threats of crime in the area were non existent. Alas, he had lost against his partner in a game of very dramatic rock paper scissors which had led him to being in charge of the cities more boring district.

Not that is was exactly boring per say, he thought to himself as he looked out the window at the darkened streets, it was just very underpopulated due to how many abandoned warehouses were in the area. It wasn't exactly a place where a family would settle down after all. There was the occasional person here and there, but Papyrus hated to admit that most of them were either drug dealers or on the receiving end of such illegal products, which is why they could only afford to live in the actual slums of his home town.

Undyne, his partner ever since he graduated from the academy, who won the small battle of hands was happy to get the more bank centered part of the city. Which is why the young officer couldn't help but smile a little enviously as he looked down at his smart phone where yet another photo was presented to him of Undyne's face with a frowning criminal placed in the background which had been sent to him just seconds prior. This would of given her three busts in a single night, he mused as he saved the photo to his phones folder titled 'FRIENDS' before setting the electronic back into his utility belt.

His oddly orange hued eyes directed themselves back at the radio with lightning speed as it suddenly buzzed to life and the voice of his dispatch unit filled his eardrums. "There has been a report of a mans scream in the 6th district of fourth and Maple. Any units please respond-"

"THIS IS OFFICER PAPYRUS FONT, I AM ON THE SCENE." The cop responded quickly through the receiver of his radio before kicking his car to life and activating his siren. The young man attempted to ignore the groups of people who ran away at the mere sound of his vehicle but a small part of his mind promised himself to retrace his steps later on and see if they were still present and doing anything illegal, but at the moment he was more focused on the potential threat of someone being harmed as he sped down the streets.

Maple street was an odd location if the officer were to be honest, as it was more of a forest than anything. He wasn't even sure if there were any homes in that area, but didn't bother thinking on it any further as he turned a corner sharply and neared the isolated location. "WHERE..."

His orbs lit up as they entered the woods and came across a rather large looking house. It was made of bricks and looked as though no life had entered it in years if the foliage running up it's side was any indication. His eyes quickly locked on the sight of a darkened figure running out the back of the building, which prompted him to jump out of the car and hold his gun in the figures general direction. "STOP!"

Obviously the man didn't listen as he disappeared into the trees surrounding the area. Papyrus made a motion to follow the mysterious and obviously suspicious figure as his training kicked in, but he ignored that in favor of nearing the house to search for any victims of abuse. He lowered his gun gently as he kicked the front door open and looked around the dark room before reaching into his belt and grabbing a small yet very high powered flashlight.

The house looked a lot more clean on the inside than it did on the out, but the officer knew that this particular building wasn't in anyone's name. So it was either a homeless person who broke in and claimed the house as his own, or it was someone who wished to stay off the grid. Papyrus pushed all the racing thoughts aside as he slowly walked further into the house, being sure to avoid any creaky boards under his feet in fear that any other people were here and waiting to pounce at any moment.

Luck wasn't in his favor as almost each slab of wood screamed in protest at being stepped on, especially the stairs that he climbed up in order to scope out the upstairs area. His breathing sped up at the sight of a single door on the end of a long hallway and he didn't hesitate as he sucked in a breath and ignored all feelings of fear while walking towards the large slab of wood. "HELLO? IS ANYONE HERE?"

When he received no response he braced his body and kicked the door down in one forceful movement, eyes taking in the odd lock on the slab of wood briefly and the oddly placed wires that surrounded the doors knob. He raised his gun quickly once more as soon as his foot landed back onto the ground while directing his flashlight around the area, only to drop both items in shock upon seeing a figure laying on a plush looking mattress, blood coating almost every inch of the small characters form and a roll of gauze was wrapped lazily around the left side of his skull. "OH GOD... ARE YOU ALRIGHT!?"

Papyrus ran up to the bed and leaned over the shaking form with eyes wide in shock as he noticed the bandage caved into the males face, leading him to believe that this poor boy was now missing his eye. The tall officer blinked harshly and kicked his mind back into gear before quickly grabbing the radio placed on the front of his vest and practically screaming into it. "THIS IS OFFICER PAPYRUS, I NEED AN AMBULANCE ON THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY! THE CULPRIT RAN AWAY ON FOOT, AND THE VICTIM IS BLEEDING PROFUSELY FROM HIS HEAD. I BELIEVE THAT HIS LEFT EYE HAS BEEN REMOVED. HE ALSO APPEARS TO BE UNDERWEIGHT."

The cop didn't bother listening to the response as he put his radio back down and gently sat himself on the bed, running a gloved hand over the shorter's shoulder gently in an attempt to wake him up. It was futile however, and Papyrus took this moment to grab his items from the ground before surveying his surroundings, not wishing to move the obviously hurt male in fear of damaging him further.

The room was decently sized with a toilet, sink, and bucket placed in the corner. There was also a locked closet placed by the door with a notebook being the only other item in the room. Papyrus made quick work of moving over to the item and grabbing the book, opening it to it's first page only to cock an eye in confusion upon seeing its contents.

It was an oddly sketched image of something straight out of a nightmare, yet the blonde couldn't depict what exactly it was as he read the word 'monster' over and over again in his head. The notebook was quickly shut and tucked into his vest for future viewing as he noticed that this room was designed to be a living area, which then prompted his eyes to look back at the shaking and crying male on the bed with saddened eyes.

Just how long was this boy kept captive in this room? He asked himself as the distant sounds of an ambulance filled his ears and made him relax slightly at the prospect of the shorter getting medical attention. There was no way he would of survived more than an hour, the cop thought angrily as his mind tried to remember just what the figure who ran from the scene looked like. But it was impossible due to his form being hidden by the darkened sky and trees.

But Papyrus was making it his new life goal to find whoever was messed up enough to harm such a young looking man so severely and put him behind bars. The figure on the bed had shoulder length, curly white hair that looked very unkempt, far too tight clothing, and a clean shaven face. Papyrus found it odd how his face was shaven while his hair looked untouched, as he was obviously capable of growing such hair if the treasure trail that was barely visible from under the crop top he was wearing was any indication. But he wasn't going to wrap his mind around the actions of psychopaths.

For now he needed to focus entirely on getting this boy help and finding out just what this poor male has been though.

\------------------------------------------

A single blue eye cracked itself open lazily as the character attached to the orbs brain grew hazy. His body was completely numb as he snuggled deeper into the pillow under his head, and the only stipulation at the moment was how blindingly white the room he was located in was. It was far brighter than normal, he thought to himself before groaning gently and forcing a toothy smile onto his face as he attempted to survey his surroundings, only to stop breathing all together upon realizing that this wasn't his home.

He was in a completely white room that had several odd looking machines next to his equally as white bed. Tubes were dug into his wrist and nose and he couldn't even bring his heavy feeling arms up to remove the items as simply directing his eyes around seemed to leave him breathless, but it didn't stop his breathing from speeding up in fear as the sun from outside shone brightly into the mysterious room. 

'where's daddy...?' The male thought to himself as his eyes continued to dart around the room in an attempt to decipher just where exactly he was.

"OH, YOU'RE AWAKE!" A blue orb quickly locked on a tall figure by the foot of his bed, only for a scream to escape his lips at the visual. That wasn't his dad. That was a monster. "O-OH NO! UM, IT'S OK!"

"g-get away from me!" The smaller screamed as the taller attempted to walk closer to his form. It stopped the dark blue dressed man in his tracks as he slowly brought his hands up in a form of surrender. "n-no... daddy!"

An orange hued eye cocked gently in confusion before shutting tightly and re-opening. The smaller of the two watched the others every move as he slowly walked to the side, and presented his form in it's entirety to the panicking male on the bed. "IT'S OK... I'M PAPYRUS, I'M THE ONE THAT SAVED YOU."

"s-saved...?" The shorter asked shakily as his body still wouldn't move, even as his mind screamed that he would die if he didn't get away from the strange man before him.

"YES, I FOUND YOU HURT AND LOCKED IN A HOUSE IN THE WOODS... MAY I ASK FOR YOUR NAME?" The man spoke softly and slowly, obviously in a way that was meant to calm the shorter down. But it was futile as the bandage covered male felt his heart continue to race in his chest in pure fear.

"what's... what's a name?"

"WHAT'S A-... IT'S WHAT PEOPLE CALL YOU." Papyrus, if the smaller recalled correctly, explained with a smile as he stayed still by the bed. "LIKE, WHAT WOULD I SAY TO GET YOUR ATTENTION?"

"...prince... o-or my boy... a-and sometimes love." Papyrus seemed almost disgusted by the list of names, but shook his face free of anything other than a smile as he slowly sat himself in the only seat next to the wide eyed males bed. The shorter twitched in alarm at having the stranger get even closer to his form, but allowed himself to relax slightly upon realizing this man carried no malicious intent in his eyes.

"HM.. THOSE ARE VERY LOVELY NAMES. BUT I FEEL LIKE A MORE PROPER NAME IS IN ORDER..." The taller seemed to think for a moment before he smiled brightly and looked into the others single and confusion filled eye. "HOW ABOUT SANS?"

"sans... what's that?"

"IT'S A FONT. I NOTICED A LITTLE NOTEBOOK BY YOUR BED HAD SUCH WRITING PLACED INSIDE IT, I TAKE IT THAT THIS IS YOURS?" Papyrus showed the shorter his book after taking it out of his vest, making the hurt male nod after a short moment in confirmation.

"m-mine..." Sans replied with his smile still in place. At least, he assumed his smile was still present as his face was rather numb from whatever was being pumped into his system. "i... wheres daddy?"

"CAN I ASK WHO DADDY IS, EXACTLY?" Papyrus asked in turn as the shorter shakily clenched his fist.

"d-daddy... he takes care of me... protects me from the monsters..." The lean man nodded gently along with the shorter's words while keeping his own eyes locked on the others pain filled orb.

"MONSTERS?"

"you... monsters." The shorter clenched his eye shut at being unable to speak clearly as his brain grew more and more cloudy, making the other sigh softly in pity and self loathing at asking so many questions to the character who was obviously not well enough to answer them.

"IT'S ALRIGHT, YOU DON'T HAVE TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING NOW. BUT I DO NEED TO KNOW... DID YOUR 'DADDY' HURT YOUR EYE?" Sans' eye opened softly and immediately welled with tears at the question.

"i... was bad." That seemed to be answer enough for the tall character as he inhaled shakily through his nose and nodded gently.

"HOW ABOUT YOU GET SOME REST, SANS? I'LL BE SURE TO BRING YOU IN SOME FOOD ONCE YOU'RE UP!" Papyrus gave the shorter, Sans he supposed he was called now, another heart clenching smile before standing and leaving the room a little too quickly.

Sans. The name was odd but not unfamiliar, the small male thought as he sniffed gently and relaxed against the pillows under his form. He may as well head Papyrus' advice and get some sleep as moving was impossible at the moment.

Maybe once he woke up he would be strong enough to find his dad, the newly named male mused to himself as he closed his eyes softly once again, allowing sleep to claim his mind as the drugs coursing through his system kept his form at bay and his thoughts suppressed. 

\------------------------------------

Tbc.

Please review if you want me to continue this story. I got the idea while watching some messed up horror movies, and thought it would be a nice break in between my other stories chapters. Thanks for reading!!~


	2. Introductions Are In Order

A hand was clenched tightly around a thick folder filled with sheets of paper, crumpling the ink covered reports in anger and without care as Papyrus finished reading the words typed into the envelopes contents. The writing on his teams part was very sparse with just how little the officers could find based solely on the home Sans was kept in, but it was enough to show the young officer that the recently found male hadn't ever left that room.

There were enough indications in the small space to show him that whoever this 'Daddy' character was, he was sick. There was no way out of the room except for the door, which as Papyrus had noticed earlier, was wrapped with wires which were then connected to an electrical box. So in conclusion, if Sans were to even touch the doorknob he would get a shock wave of electricity through his arm. It was disgusting, the blonde thought with a frown as he sat quietly at the victim in questions bedside.

His orange hued eyes locked on the still and peaceful looking male softly, not understanding why anyone would ever want to hurt this innocent looking boy in the first place. That was answered already, he thought as he clenched his eyes shut.

The doctors reports were in that folder as well after all, and they made Papyrus stomach churn just thinking on what was reported.

Sans had been through so much. Too much for the male who the doctors deemed as being only twenty years old, which yes, made him older than Papyrus himself by a whole year, but that was still incredibly young. His body was thin with malnutrition, scars lined his arms, eye taken out without care, and Papyrus wasn't even about to tap into the poor souls mental stability.

The officer got the impression that the short adult wasn't familiar with anyone other than his dad, judging from their one interaction alone. Which Papyrus wasn't sure how to help other than to just ease the man into the world. Which is why he insisted on being the only character to see the injured male whenever he woke, at least for now. Sans wasn't even likely to remember that small conversation with just how many drugs he was on, but Papyrus hoped that the shorter was at least calmer as the morphine finally dissipated from his system. The doctors were in a short moment ago to check the older's vitals, and sent the concerned officer a smile of reassurance which took a rather large load of stress off of his chest as his mind had been unable to relax ever since finding Sans.

Sans, Papyrus mused with a soft smile as his eyes locked onto the small movements of the male in questions chest, such an odd name of him to think of right off the bat. But he couldn't deny just how much it fit.

The thought came to a halt as his eyes widened in shock upon seeing the shorter's bright blue orb crack open and blinked wildly at how bright the room was. The officer wished he could dim the room for the obviously struggling male, but the window was producing most of the light and the large pane of glass didn't have any curtains. So he did the next best thing and stood up, blocking the sun rays from hitting the character on the bed who was then given time to adjust his eye and take in his surroundings with as much time as he needed.

"mgh.." Papyrus ran to the others bedside table upon hearing such a scratchy noise produce from the shorter's throat, making the blonde rush to grab the cold glass of water that had been placed there by a nurse before setting a straw into the cup and holding it out to the now wide eyed man. His weirdly set in stone smile curved ever so slightly wider as his eye squinted in both fear and suspicion at the cup in the taller's hands. The officer didn't budge however as he smiled patiently in turn and showed the clear cups contents to the male, who upon recognizing the water, hesitantly took a small sip.

Papyrus kept the cup still as the shorter drank a small amount of the water, his blue eye looking down at the cup in want even as he allowed his lips to part from the straw. "YOU CAN HAVE MORE, IF YOU'D LIKE?"

"..." The shorter didn't respond as he huddled back into his pillow, hands slowly rising so they could grip the front of the hospital supplied t-shirt as his eyes then locked onto Papyrus' own. "am i dead?"

"NO, NO! YOU'RE NOT DEAD, YOU'RE AT THE HOSPITAL." The taller explained as he sat the cup back onto the table before sitting into his seat. "DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE YOU GOT HERE?"

"i... no." It was obvious that the male was lying as his orb directed itself at his own nervously moving hands. "papyrus, right?"

"OH- YES! THAT'S MY NAME!" The officer smiled widely at the others statement, happy that he had remembered his title and the blonde now didn't have to go through the process of introducing himself once more.

"hm... m'sans?" A small hand rubbed against a bandage covered head with a wince of pain before his large orb locked back onto Papyrus. "are you gonna kill me?"

"OF COURSE NOT! I WOULD NEVER HARM YOU!"

"but... how did you survive then?" The genuine confusion threw Papyrus for a loop as he cocked an eyebrow up unconsciously.

"SURVIVE? SURVIVE WHAT?" The officer felt the need to document this conversation, but decided to simply rely on his memory as that large blue orb locked onto his own. Eye contact was a must at the moment if he didn't wish to upset the shorter, and that was by far the last thing he ever wanted to do.

"the monsters. they killed everyone... daddy said so." Sans explained quietly, as if the monsters in question would hear the mans words and take that as an invitation to pounce. "s'just me and him now. but... you're here."

Papyrus let the other wrap his brain around that stated observation with a patient smile as Sans rubbed his remaining eye with the back of his hand. The older's nails, the officer noticed, were as well kept as his facial hair. "i don't understand... wheres daddy?"

"SANS... I NEED TO TELL YOU SOMETHING." Papyrus started slowly as the other blinked in confusion. "YOUR 'DADDY' WAS A VERY BAD MAN. YOU... YOU WERE A CAPTIVE AT THAT MANS HANDS AND HE DID A VERY BAD THING IN LOCKING YOU AWAY AND HURTING YOU."

"no. my daddy's good. he... he protects me." The shorter shook his head in protest at Papyrus words, making the cop sigh softly and gently take the others hand into his own upon noticing that the blunt fingernails were beginning to scratch against the bandages on his wrist. Sans made a noise of shock at the contact, but Papyrus simply continued to smile as he gently ran his thumb over the back of the shorter's soft flesh.

Sans seemed almost enraptured by the touch after the initial shock left as his eye locked on the taller's lean and glove covered hand. "whats... whats your hand in?"

"OH, IT'S A GLOVE." Papyrus smiled as the shorter gently used his other hand to touch the material in question, not removing the article, but simply studying it. It was... Adorable, the cop thought with a smile as he spread his fingers apart and allowed the other to survey each phalanx individually. "THEY KEEP MY HANDS WARM."

"huh..." Sans hummed as he gently began peeling the Velcro of the back of Papyrus' hand apart, making the older jump up at the noise in alarm and look up at the taller with a wide eye. Orange orbs softened themselves at the reaction, knowing fear when he saw it.

"IT'S OK! THAT'S HOW I TAKE THEM OFF, NYEH HEH!" Papyrus smiled in reassurance as he completely ripped the Velcro off the leather material himself, and then presented his hand back to the slightly shaking man on the bed. The shorter obviously thought he had broken the glove and his reaction showed that he was expecting the taller to hit him. God damn it, Papyrus thought as he blinked away a set of tears as he focused on the now calmer male.

Sans took the hand back and, with a small amount of hesitation, took the glove completely off the younger's lean hand, gasping in shock upon seeing the bare skin below.

"it's like daddy's..." Sans mumbled out as he ran his fingertips over the slightly scarred skin, mind in shock at how a monster could have such humanoid attributes as he placed his own fingers into the taller's, locking their hands together and pulling a blush out of the officer. "are... are you a human?"

"I'D LIKE TO THINK SO." Papyrus joked softly before clearing his throat and watching as Sans unhooked their limbs and instead grabbed the glove, looking the item over before attempting to put it over his own appendage. Another laugh busted from the taller of the twos lips as Sans finally figured out how the glove worked and put it on his hand, showing Papyrus that the others limb was a good half the size of his own as the gloves fingers drooped downwards.

"s'different." Sans whispered as he too noticed that the glove didn't fit, making Papyrus shake his head slightly with an amused smile still in place.

"I SUPPOSE MY HANDS ARE A LITTLE BIGGER. BUT I'M SURE I CAN FIND YOU A PAIR THAT FIT YOU! WHAT COLORS DO YOU LIKE?" Papyrus asked as Sans took the glove off and gently attempted to put it back on the others hand, much to the police officers ongoing amusement.

"color?"

"YES, LIKE HOW YOUR EYES ARE BLUE AND MINE ARE ORANGE. THOSE ARE COLORS." The officer smiled as he taught the other something even children should know. His words may of been spoken with joy and patience, but his brain was anything but calm as he mentally cursed at whoever had kept this poor male captive. Why would they not of bothered to even teach him the basics of life...?

"orange..." Sans drawled the word out as he looked into Papyrus' eyes, squinting gently in a way that made the taller think he may need glasses before he looked back onto his lap. "i like the color of scrambled eggs."

"EGGS? SO YELLOW?" The officer asked with a smile as the shorter finally got the glove back on it's owners hand, making Papyrus nod his thanks as Sans leaned back into his pillows, clearly exhausted from the small action. "THAT'S A NICE COLOR. I'LL FIND YOU A NICE PAIR OF YELLOW GLOVES LATER TODAY."

The officer promised as Sans looked up at him in confusion. "for me?"

"YES, FOR YOU. I THINK YOU'D LOOK GOOD IN SOME GLOVES." Papyrus smiled, but that soon dissolved into a frown upon seeing the shorter shake his head in protest.

"i haven't done anythin' to deserve that." Sans stated softly with a barely contained yawn as Papyrus opened his mouth to argue, only to shut it quickly upon realizing that arguing on the matter would get him nowhere. He would still get the gloves though, he promised mentally as the shorter snuggled into his pillows. "you.."

"YES?" Papyrus asked after a moment as the other didn't continue his statement, making him curious as to what the damaged man wished to voice.

"you're..." A very odd hue of blue painted the shorter's cheeks as his half lidded eye looked back up into Papyrus own. "really nice."

"O-OH... WELL, THANK YOU." The officer was unsure of how to respond as Sans' eye fluttered softly in a futile effort to stay open, making the taller chuckle slightly at how hard the shorter was trying to stay awake. But Papyrus knew that he needed sleep if he was going to get better, as the cop didn't want the shorter to be awake and in pain during the far too long healing process. "YOU SHOULD GET SOME MORE REST, SANS."

"mgh... i was just sleepin though." The shorter mumbled adorably, making Papyrus bring a hand up to cover a snort as he stood himself up and gently pulled Sans' blanket back up to his chin. The officer stood above the bandaged character for a moment longer as he watched him slowly shut his eye and allow his face to relax as slumber claimed him.

Papyrus really did like this guy, he mused with a soft smile as a gloved hand gently pushed a strand of white hair out of the sleeping males face. He knew that he was already wrapped around this poorly treated characters finger, and the connection that he had felt upon locking eyes with the shorter's own blue orb was nothing less than fate. Papyrus was meant to be the one to find and save Sans and he was meant to be the one to help him through every step of his healing journey.

Both mental and physical, Papyrus thought with a slight frown as he grabbed his hat from the table by the bed and held it loosely by his chest before exiting the room, nodding at the waiting nurse with a smile as she took that as her Que to go in and check on her patient. It had been a good two days since he found the now slumbering male now, and the officer was ashamed to admit that he had missed a lot of work because of it.

Not in a bad way of course, but after hearing that deep and scared voice, Papyrus knew that he had to be present when Sans woke up again. And he would be there when he awoke next time as well, he promised himself as he pulled out his cellphone after exiting the building and sighing at the sight of how many missed calls he had received from both Undyne and his foster family. He had yet to inform them of what was going on, so he didn't blame them for worrying about his absence, but at the same time he didn't wish to inform Undyne and have her show up at the hospital unexpectedly.

Papyrus loved his partner, he truly did, but she was a little... Aggressive. Yet at the same time had a very soft heart for those who were hurt, which is why Papyrus didn't wish to tell her of Sans and have her assault him with her 'healing suplexes'. So yes, he would save such information for when his new friend was more acquainted with other people in general and would instead tell both his family and work partner that he was currently occupied with a case and wouldn't be on duty or at home for the next few days.

He had already received the OK from his boss, so long as he promised to work during spring break. A very bold sacrifice for the male since that was one of the worst times to be a cop, but it would be worth it to see that weak male get more and more healthy with each passing day. But that was still a long ways away, the blonde thought sadly as he got into his car and started the ignition, mind set on going to the mall before getting food and coming back to the hospital.

Papyrus had a set of yellow gloves to find, after all.

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The monster above him was panting as drool pooled out of it's lips, only to drip down a hairy chin and land on the quivering figure below him. It was paid no mind however as the shaking character on the floor was more focused on the beasts eyes.

One was a sharp blue, much like his own, while the other was neither orange nor blue. Sans wasn't sure what it was, but it wasn't normal and it was staring right into his soul as he tried to crawl away. But the monster didn't like that.

A large and clawed hand reached down and gripped the males leg, not deterred at all by the shorter's kicks and punches as it pulled the humans form closer to his own and growled in warning at what was to come. A small body was braced in fear as the monsters jaw unhinged and opened wide enough to show each row of it's sharp and dangerous looking teeth, which was the last thing a tear filled orb took in before the beast lunged downwards and clamped it's jaw around his throat.

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Papyrus smiled at the box in his hands, lightly tossing the gift from one limb to the other as he chuckled airily in satisfaction. It was a little difficult to find such an oddly colored set of gloves, especially in a small enough size to fit Sans, but he did it. They were a pair more comfortable than his own, with the insides being laced with a soft fur material and were leather on the outside.

They kind of resembled the gloves Papyrus used to wash dishes, but far more fancy and nice feeling. He just hoped Sans liked them, he prayed as the plastic bag on his arm was hoisted into his hand as he entered the hospitals elevator. A lean finger pressed the number four before the lean cop set the gift under his arm and waited for his stop.

It didn't take very long, but the second the elevators door began creaking over his mind was on high alert as a very familiar voice was heard shouting in the distance. The off duty officer wasted no time in sprinting down the hallway, hopping over equipment and narrowing avoiding the crowding doctors as he ran into Sans' room and watched in shock as both a nurse and doctor attempted to hold his small figure down. "WHAT'S GOING ON?!"

"He woke up screaming, and began digging his nails into his arms." The nurse explained quickly as Sans' fear and tear filled eye darted around the room. Papyrus grit his teeth at their poor treatment of their patient, but put the thought aside as he walked further into the room and set both the box and bag onto the small chair, pushing the medical professionals aside and grabbing both sides of the struggling males face, so that their eyes were locked on each others and nothing else.

"IT'S OK... IT'S ME, PAPYRUS! I WON'T LET ANYTHING HURT YOU, SANS... SHHH." The blonde spoke softly as he gently ran his fingers against the now panting males cheeks, waiting patiently and with a gentle smile as the shorter blinked harshly and calmed his breathing down.

The two others in the room gave each other a small glance before setting a needle full of something Papyrus was sure to knock the male out onto the table before leaving the room. The cop assumed they had left that for him to administer, but honestly just thought that they were even dumber for thinking he would ever do that to the shaking male on the bed. Drugging him would do more harm than good, as if this was the result of a nightmare, the last thing Papyrus wanted to do was force Sans into another one. "pap...m'sorry."

"DON'T BE! I'M THE ONE WHO IS SORRY, I SHOULD OF BEEN THERE WHEN YOU WOKE UP." Sans sniffed gently as his body flopped back onto the bed, all adrenaline from his night terror left his form in a mere second as the taller's hand rubbing against his cheeks massaged all his worries away. "DID YOU HAVE A BAD DREAM?"

Sans simply nodded at the question as Papyrus gently removed his hands before grabbing the items on his chair, setting them onto the small night table before sitting himself down with a sigh. "YOU SCARED ME..."

"sorry... i didn't mean too."

"NO, NO. I WAS JUST WORRIED... I THOUGHT YOU WERE BEING HURT." The cop stated honestly as he unwrapped the plastic bag and pulling out two foam containers that secreted a nicely put together smell. "I BROUGHT FOOD!"

Papyrus knew that it was wise to change the subject, especially as the shorter's face lit up upon realizing that the taller had brought him something to eat. The cop chuckled as he handed the shorter a container of his own before reaching back into the bag for some single use utensils. He had just gotten the plastic items out of the bag when he noticed Sans was already digging into his Chinese food with his hands alone. "OH, UM WOULDN'T YOU LIKE A FORK?"

Sans looked up at the other in confusion, cheeks full of rice as the officer snorter out a laugh as his mind immediately related the shorter to a chipmunk. The taller showed Sans the utensils, and watched as the shorter gently took the item and looked it over with a thoughtful expression as he swallowed his food. "what's this for?"

"EATING?" Papyrus was confused himself but then let another sigh pass his lips upon realizing that the other was genuinely confused on just what he had been handed. "IT'S JUST BETTER MANNERS TO EAT WITH A FORK. YOU SCOOP YOUR FOOD ONTO IT," The blonde demonstrated his words with his own meal, eyes not missing how intently the other was watching him as he did so. "LIKE SO. THEN YOU SIMPLY PUT THAT INTO YOUR MOUTH. IT KEEPS YOUR HANDS CLEAN."

Sans nodded along before grasping the utensil in his hand like he had seen Papyrus doing before shoveling it into his rice and shakily bringing it up to his mouth. A few grains landed on his white clothing, but he still seemed rather proud of the fact that the fork had made it to his mouth at all if the shine in his eyes was any indication. Papyrus blushed softly as a smile found itself onto his cheeks as he watched the newly educated male eat.

This character still had a long way to go, the officer thought idly. But Papyrus was more than glad to be apart of the short males journey. No matter how hard it may get along the way.

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Once breakfast, or in a literal sense, lunch was consumed the two newly acquainted males were simply sitting in the comfort of one another's presence with Sans asking the occasional question here and there. The inquiries mostly consisted of the simplest things, such as what color certain things were, if there were any other Papyrus' (that had the officer giggling like crazy), and where his father was.

The cop was capable of answering everything but the last question, which he had to explain once again how that man wasn't a father but a criminal. Sans didn't take it well at first, but with each fact that Papyrus added on that proved this 'Daddy' character as being a terrible person he seemed to almost think on it further. It was as if the shorter had always known that his parent was wrong in his actions, but was always too scared to admit it.

"I KNOW IT'S HARD... BUT HE CAN'T HURT YOU ANYMORE. I'LL MAKE SURE OF THAT." Papyrus promised as he watched the older play with the hem of his blanket, wringing the material together with his hands as his eye shut tightly in thought.

"i..." A gloved hand gently took a hold of the hurt man's shoulder gently, prompting the shorter's eye to open and look at the officer who now had a gentle look planted on his features.

"I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO SIMPLY ACCEPT EVERYTHING NOW, SANS. I JUST WANT YOU TO GET BETTER... OH! BEFORE I FORGET." The officer let go of the now curious males shoulder before grabbing the forgotten box on the table and displaying the wrapped gift to the shorter.

Sans blinked in confusion as Papyrus set the box in his hands, looking the item over with his single eye as the taller waited for him to open it. It took a few minutes, but Papyrus finally realized that Sans had no idea what wrapping paper was as he leaned over and ripped a tear into the paper, gesturing for the shorter to do the same with a smile. Sans did as shown, but far more delicately than Papyrus had, and eventually his bed was covered in paper and a plain white box was held in his hands.

The older didn't need to be told to take it's lid off, which is what he did promptly before looking down at the boxes contents with a wide eye. His smile was shrunken slightly as his now star filled orb looked at the pair of gloves before shooting back to the officer next to him. Papyrus nodded, smile still in place as the shorter took that as his Que to take the articles out of the box.

The yellow gloves were made for winter weather, but that didn't stop Sans as he pulled the material over his dry hands and wiggled his fingers once they were clothed while watching the limbs intently. Papyrus laughed softly with mirth filling his own eyes as Sans seemed enraptured by the small gift. "are... are these for me?"

"OF COURSE. THEY COULDN'T VERY WELL FIT MY HANDS NYEH HEH... DO YOU LIKE THEM?" The officer asked as the other nodded slowly and almost shyly in agreement. The taller had thought that the others smile getting smaller was a bad sign, but it was anything but as his entire face softened in a way that made Papyrus think he was going to tear up. That didn't happen however as Sans simply hugged his glove covered hands close to his chest, breathing softly before looking up at the cop.

"i... i don't deserve them, though. what do you want me to do?"

"PARDON?" Papyrus asked in confusion at the question. "I DON'T WANT ANYTHING OTHER THAN FOR YOU TO GET BETTER, SANS."

"better..? am i sick?"

"NO, NOT... NOT SICK PER SAY. BUT YOU ARE INJURED." The taller cursed himself mentally at the statement. He hadn't meant to hesitate so much in his response, but he would have to be blind to not see the mental turmoil Sans was going through. And in Papyrus' books, that was a sickness. Because it was something that could be nurtured and healed over time.

It was a positive thought that needed to be forced into the officers skull as his mind couldn't help but ponder on the negatives with this character so heavily damaged in front of him. Sans deserved vengeance of course, but Papyrus didn't wish to think much more on such a thing as those particular musings were less than savory when they pondered on what he wished to do to the man who disfigured his new friend.

"but... i'll be ok. s'long as daddy comes back." Sans responded after a beat as he looked back down at his gloved hands.

"AND WHY IS THAT?"

"he can heal me. he always does... i just need to play his favorite game and he'll forgive me." The shorter was being a lot more talkative than Papyrus had ever seen him, but the others words were honestly doing nothing more than planting a sick feeling in the officers stomach.

"HIS FAVORITE GAME?"

"mhm. i..." Sans hesitated for a moment, lip slowly being pulled into his teeth and chewed on as he contemplated something Papyrus didn't dare interrupt. "i don't really like that game... but it makes daddy happy. he'll heal me once he's happy."

"SANS... WHAT DOES THIS GAME CONSIST OF?" Papyrus asked softly as Sans released his lip and clasped his glove covered hands together, interlocking the now thick fingers as his blue orb attempted to blink away the wetness that was beginning to form.

Sans parted his lips gently in an attempt to speak, but closed it quickly with a frantic shake of his head. His arms wrapped around his stomach as he began to shake as Papyrus blinked in alarm. "SANS?! ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"

"mgh..." The older male groaned as he huddled into himself and pulled his knees close to his chest, breath starting to come out in choppy bursts as the officer realized he was having a panic attack. The taller quickly jumped out of his chair with wide orbs and made quick work of leaning over Sans and gently taking his face into his own gloved hands.

The cop was considering calling in the doctors for a brief moment, but as the image of Sans screaming his lungs out pierced his brain he reconsidered. The elder obviously wouldn't do well if a group of strangers came into his room suddenly, especially in this state.

So it was up to Papyrus, he thought to himself as he gently began rubbing circles into the shorter's soft cheeks, shushing noises escaping his lips as Sans stared at him with a wide and scared orb. The others breathing wasn't slowing down, but it was obvious that Sans was trying his hardest to regulate his lungs as he shakily brought his own hands up and clasped them around Papyrus wrists. The officer thought that the shorter wished for him to let his face go originally with the sudden action, but as that soft blue eye shut tightly and he leaned his face into the taller's hold, Papyrus realized that he needed the touch.

Which is why the blonde continued his soft motions and gentle murmurs of encouragement for as long as it took Sans to calm himself down. It was at least 10 minutes before Papyrus felt safe enough to speak up and stop the motion of his thumbs. "ARE YOU FEELING BETTER...?"

"ya... ya, m'sorry." Sans sniffed before blushing and slowly moving out of the others hold with an embarrassed sigh. The shorter then wrapped his own arms back around his form in a defensive nature as Papyrus stayed rooted on the bed in fear of Sans having another episode. "didn't mean to do that."

"DON'T APOLOGIZE, SANS. YOU'RE SILLY IF YOU THINK THAT WAS YOUR FAULT." The officer attempted to joke as he watched Sans wipe his cheeks, removing the two small trails of salty liquid that had pooled out of his eyes during the minor breakdown. "I'M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE SORRY FOR ASKING SUCH AN... IMPOSING QUESTION."

"no. s'okay. i know that the games bad... i know that." It was almost as if Sans was speaking more to himself than Papyrus as he sighed gently and looked down at his gloved hand. His left appendage fiddled with the others glove with shaking motions as his small form relaxed into the pillows under his head. "i know but... he gets so happy when we play."

"SANS, YOU DON'T NEED TO SPEAK ANYMORE... I DON'T WANT YOU TO HURT YOUR HEAD OVER THIS. HOW ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE INSTEAD? LIKE, DID YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE OVER 7 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD?" Papyrus asked quickly in an attempt to defuse the situation, only to mentally smack himself at the question. Of course Sans didn't know how many people were on Earth, he was shocked to see that Papyrus himself existed.

"is... is that a lot?" Sans asked with a cocked brow as he looked back over at Papyrus. "it's bigger than one hundred, right?"

"YUP. MUCH BIGGER... CAN YOU ONLY COUNT UP TO ONE HUNDRED?"

"...is that bad?"

"NOT AT ALL! I... I COULD TEACH YOU TO COUNT EVEN HIGHER? IF YOU'D WANT TOO OF COURSE!"

"i would like that... i didn't think a bigger number existed." Sans almost laughed as he spoke, more so in disbelief than anything before clearing his throat and gesturing at the door. "could you um... tell the two from before that i'm sorry? i thought they were monsters."

"OH, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THAT! THEY WERE BOTH DOCTORS, SO I'M SURE THEY ARE USED TO IT." Papyrus responded as soon as he realized who Sans was speaking about. It was cute how the shorter felt the need to say sorry when he had no control over his actions. It showed that the twenty year old was kind by nature, the officer thought with a smile as he checked the time, only to frown as he realized visiting hours were almost over. "OH GOSH.. I'M SO SORRY, BUT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO."

"what?" Sans asked with a wide orb before forcing his smile to widen as he looked back down at his hands. "i'm sorry..."

"HUH? WHATEVER ARE YOU SORRY FOR?" The officer asked as he began tossing the twos earlier food containers into a plastic bag, eyes not looking at the figure on the bed while doing so.

"you're leaving... so i was bad? i didn't mean to be." Orange eyes darted back at Sans, who was now sans a glove as he dug the blunt end of his fingernails into his opposing wrist, shaking as he shook his head frantically and prompted Papyrus to grab his hands as gently as possible and hold them tightly in his own palms.

"SANS. LOOK AT ME." The officer waited a beat as the shorter sniffed gently. His blue orb slowly moved upwards to lock on Papyrus own, hesitation pouring out of the older's every crevice as the officer smiled gently in turn. "YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. IF I COULD, I WOULD SPEND EVERY SECOND I COULD WITH YOU! BUT THE HOSPITAL, THE PLACE WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, HAS ONLY A LIMITED NUMBER OF HOURS IN WHICH VISITORS CAN COME INSIDE. THAT TIME IS COMING TO A CLOSE."

"o-oh." Sans blushed, again fueling a spike of confusion in Papyrus' mind at the blue hue that took over the shorter's cheeks. He couldn't help but admit to it fitting the shorter's complexion, but would have to look into it further as it was anything but normal. "ok. i'm sorry, i just thought..."

"DON'T APOLOGIZE! YOU'RE BEING SILLY AGAIN!" Papyrus smiled brightly as the shorter snorted out a small laugh before quickly bringing his gloved hand up to cover the noise. The officer chose to ignore the action, as it was nothing serious to hide a laugh as he released the shorter's hands with one final squeeze and took a step back from the blindingly white hospital bed. "I'LL BE HERE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, THOUGH. YOU TRY AND GET SOME REST, ALRIGHT?"

"ok, pap's." The shorter responded a little sleepily as he put his other glove back on and pulled his thin blanket up to his stomach. "g'night."

"GOODNIGHT, SANS. I'LL SEE YOU TOMORROW." And with that, Papyrus sent the other another smile before turning on his heel and leaving the room, shaking his head at the awaiting doctors to indicate that they shouldn't enter until the injured male was asleep. They simply nodded in turn in understandment as the casually dressed cop walked down the hall, only stopping at the nearest garbage receptacle to throw out the bag of empty containers before resuming his trek out of the building.

If he hadn't made up his mind before, he definitely has now. Sans was going to come home with him the second he was released from the doctors care and would slowly be educated on just how the world actually functioned.

Papyrus was going to protect Sans. For the rest of his life if need be, the cop thought as he got into his vehicle and activated the cars blue tooth. He wasted no time in turning the automobile on and dialing in his homes number.

If he was going to be taking care of Sans, his 'roommates' would need to be aware of the older's situation. Papyrus bit his lip as the speaker began ringing as he awaited someones response.

He wasn't worried that they would disagree with his actions, quiet the opposite. Papyrus knew that the two adults he shared a home with would love to help nurture Sans back into a more safe mindset, the Dreemur's were wonderful people after all, but he also knew that the second he mentioned another face would be joining their oddly put together family, they would want to know every last detail about their new member.

And the cop didn't think Sans would want anyone else to know what he had been through. Especially not after the damaged male realized that his life was filled with misfortune. It would only warrant pity, and Sans didn't seem the type to simply accept such a thing directed at his person.

But Papyrus would make this work. Even if he had to twist the truth to his family a little bit.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sans sighed softly from his perch on the bed, eye locked onto the gift that his newly discovered friend had given him with a half lidded orb. They were soft on the inside and pretty on the out, which the short male loved as he clasped the limbs together with a toothy yawn.

His day had been long, but felt like mere seconds in the tall humans company. It was probably a good thing, Sans mused to himself as he huddled under his blanket and watched with a wide eye as an unfamiliar face peaked into the room. They left rather quickly upon seeing he was awake, which the adult was thankful for as even though he was now aware of just how many other people roamed the Earth, he didn't feel like getting acquainted with anyone else. Papyrus was enough for him.

Papyrus was... So kind, the male thought as a small frown began to form on his features. 'daddy had never been that nice to me before...'

The thought made the short male shake his head frantically, wisps of white locks smacking against his forehead at the action as he tried to push the realization aside. While his parent may not of been nice, he still protected him... Protected him from... What exactly?

Sans bit his bottom lip at the question. His dad obviously knew that he was feeding his son lies, as he left their shared home on a daily basis. So why would he convince his child that if he ever left the house, he would be murdered in a heartbeat?

The single eyed male didn't have an answer to any of the questions running through his mind at the moment, but oh so desperately wanted them. Once he found the answers he would understand his father on a deeper level, as well as the world around him which would in turn stop the looks of pity that Papyrus kept throwing his way. Not that he blamed the taller for doing such a thing. Sans was starting to realize that he was a little messed up mentally wise.

OK, a little was probably an understatement. But he couldn't just admit to all of his issues so suddenly, especially considering he had no real basis for his life being a lie other than Papyrus' word. Which seemed trustworthy, but Sans had thought for the past twenty years that he could trust his father.

He didn't know who to trust anymore. But such thoughts were saved for when his mind wasn't as hazy as it currently was, he agreed as his small form rolled onto it's side and snuggled into the soft pillow. Sleep was welcomed as a soft ring of pain began to form around the left side of the males face, making him close his eye tightly and tighten his fists around the thin blanket, willing his mind to turn off as the pain slowly grew worse and worse.

"hgn..." The male groaned as his body began to shake and the small beeping that had been filling his ears for the past day sped up. It seemed to of been a trigger of sorts for the white cladded people in the building as both a tall and flat chested person entered the room with a large chested person right behind them. Sans stared at them for a moment in fear before sucking in a breath and shutting his eyes once more.

If they were anything like Papyrus, then they were here to help.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"YOU WHAT?!" Papyrus bit his lip at the loud and robust voice, his eyes looked down at the floor like a child being scolded as his partner loomed above his form. "You found a dude in the woods and didn't tell me?!"

"I KNEW YOU WOULD WISH TO MEET HIM. AND HE'S A LITTLE... UNSTABLE AT THE MOMENT. I DIDN'T WISH TO SCARE HIM!"

"I wouldn't scare him!" Undyne yelled with bared teeth, making Papyrus cock an eye with a blank expression. She seemed to of understood his point after a moment as she sighed and planted herself onto the couch next to her friend. "Point made. But come on, this is huge! He was in that house for his entire life, and no one realized?"

"YES... I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SUCH A THING IS POSSIBLE. ISN'T THERE A REGULAR COP ON DUTY IN THAT AREA? WOULDN'T THEY OF SCOPED OUT THAT HOUSE AT LEAST ONCE?" Papyrus asked in turn as he leaned forward and grabbed his tea, smacking his lips gently at the odd tomato fragrance that the liquid gave off. Undyne must of neglected to clean her counter before brewing this drink, the male thought with a smile as the other made a noise of agreement.

"Not sure who it is exactly, but ya. There is a regular cop on duty for that area. Did you tell the chief about this?"

"I DID. HE SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO THE AREA MORE AND SEE IF ANYONE HAD ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THIS BEFORE HAND. HE BETTER THROW THEM STRAIGHT INTO PRISON IF HE FINDS ANYONE." The slightly taller character stated through grit teeth as Undyne patted his shoulder.

"Jeez, never knew you were one for such malicious wishes." She mused with a small grin as Papyrus sighed gently and set his cup back down. He would drink all of it of course since it was made by his friend, but he couldn't help but run his tongue over the bones in his mouth at the odd taste that stuck on his teeth after sipping the beverage.

"SANS DIDN'T DESERVE THAT ABUSE. HE IS A VERY... CUTE CHARACTER. HE'S KIND AND NAIVE AND WOULD OF BEEN FAR TOO EASY TO USE. WHOEVER WOULD HURT HIM IS SICK AND DESERVES TO ROT IN PRISON."

"Heck ya they do! This guy sounds cool. When can I meet him?"

"UM.." Papyrus hesitated for a moment as the woman quickly glared in his direction. "I TOLD YOU HE'S NOT FAMILIAR WITH OTHER PEOPLE! I JUST WANT HIM TO SLOWLY GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE IDEA OF MEETING OTHERS BEFORE INTRODUCING HIM TO YOU ALL."

"Zip it nerd! I'm meeting him. Tomorrow." The broad woman crossed her arms above her chest, finalizing her decision as Papyrus groaned and rubbed his fingers against the bridge of his nose.

"FINE. BUT ONLY IF YOU PROMISE NOT TO SUPLEX HIM!"

"No promises!"

It was safe to say that Papyrus was already regretting his decision in telling his friend about Sans so early. He just prayed that the short males condition was enough to keep the red heads physical attacks at bay.

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Tbc.

Huge thanks go out to 'ChocoboFangirl (LaviniaD)' and 'Mhtardis21' for the reviews! I greatly appreciate them as well as all kudos!~


	3. Welcome Home

A lean and gloved hand rubbed against the soft surface he was towering over. The incredibly soft feeling blanket was completely straightened out with that final caress and free of any wrinkles, which upon noticing prompted the lean figure to grab the large set of pillows by his feet and gently set them by the furniture's headrest.

The sheets were just bought that night prior and both washed and ironed before being placed on the old bed in an attempt to liven up the small living space. It was unfortunate that the only room they had available was Asgore's study, which also happened to be one of the smaller rooms in the house. But Papyrus wasn't going to let the limited space limit the rooms beauty, on the contrary he was was going to make it into the best room in the house.

Once the bed was decorated with the light blue comforter and matching pillows, the officer turned on his heel and surveyed the room briefly. It was painted a few days ago with the help of Toriel, who argued with the younger the entire time on his choice of color, but Sans had told him his favorite color was yellow and Papyrus felt as though the happy color would do well for the shorter if he were to be surrounded by it in the room. Happiness, positivity, optimism, enlightenment, and clarity. All those traits were said to be associated with the light color of yellow, which the officer found as being rather fitting for the damaged man in the hospital.

He needed such traits engraved into his mind if he were to ever get better. Papyrus thought with a smile as he dusted off the already clean white dresser that was also completely empty before exiting the bare room and locking the door behind him. He didn't want anyone to dirty the room when Sans would be entering it in a few short hours.

It should of been months until the young man was admitted from the hospital, but once the hole in his head began to stabilize and his other injuries were deemed fine enough for him to function by the medical professionals, Papyrus immediately looked into getting him moved to somewhere more comforting. Originally, he had simply wished for his new companion to be moved to a more posh room, but once he told Sans he was being moved he asked 'can i go where you go?' and Papyrus couldn't just say no to that.

His large blue orb had lightened up in a way the blonde had never seen at the prospect of getting out of the hospital and going to Papyrus' home, which is why the officer immediately demanded the doctors to sign off on it. Which in itself took a good couple of days to even get acknowledged with how poorly the twenty year old's body was functioning at the moment, but they had apparently viewed the rooms security cameras and came to the conclusion that Sans would be better off in Papyrus' care. So long as he brought him to the hospital once a week for checkups and made sure he took his pain medication.

Papyrus wasn't aware of this, but he was apparently the only person who Sans didn't cave into himself around. He was calm and actually spoke when in the taller's presence, which the doctors had said he had never done with them. So after a long talk with a psychiatrist, with Papyrus being in the room of course, Sans had agreed to the weekly visits and was now simply waiting on the officer to make space for him in the home.

Which the cop got to doing right away with the help of his adoptive family and Undyne, who thankfully agreed to not visit the injured male in the hospital but instead meet him during the party Papyrus was now preparing for. It was a little odd to be calling it a party when only a few people would be allowed to attend, but for Sans it was probably going to be rather excessive. The thought pulled a sigh out of the officers lungs as he walked down the stairs and into the people filled living room, throwing on a smile as a large and white haired woman beamed at him from her perch by the completely covered snack table.

"Everything is ready, dear. When are you bringing the young man over?" Toriel, the mother of the household asked with a smile as she straightened out the small stack of red cups that was placed next to a large bowl of pink liquid. They may not be serving alcohol, but she still didn't wish to dirty anymore dishes than what she already had in preparing the parties food and baked goods.

"I'M GOING TO HEAD OVER NOW AND GET HIM. BUT REMEMBER WHAT I SAID ABOUT HIM, YOU ESPECIALLY CHARA! HE IS VERY... SHY." Papyrus stated as he shoved his feet into his red sneakers, making one of the characters on the couch scoff and roll their ember hued eyes at the accusation.

"Oh shut it. I won't insult your boyfriend." The cherry cheeked teenager stated grumpily in defense as his siblings chuckled from their spots next to him on the couch.

"WHA- HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" The blonde blushed before clearing his throat upon noticing the looks everyone else was now giving him. "HE'S NOT. BUT I'M GOING TO GO PICK HIM UP NOW. COULD YOU MESSAGE UNDYNE AND LET HER KNOW?"

"I will be sure to do so." Asgore nodded with a smile of his own as he pulled out his phone and made the younger hum a loud in thanks as he then left the house and swiftly got into his far too expensive vehicle with flourish and pulled out of the large and car filled parking space, smiling widely as his eyes locked onto the balloons that were beginning to fill the large homes windows, varying in colors that Papyrus was excited to teach Sans the meaning of later.

The cheerful nature of his family was infections and prompted Papyrus to recall just how above and beyond the Dreemur's had gone for him upon his moving in all those years ago. His life wasn't hard in retrospect before meeting them all, he had actually grown in the cities orphanage until he turned 15 where he had met Undyne. She had stopped at nothing to get him into the Police Academy and her partner on the force, which Papyrus was more than grateful for as her actions had changed his life for the better. In doing so the blondes best friend had not only pushed him to get a job, but also had given him the chance to meet his current family through him helping them with a case.

A case that Papyrus didn't wish to dwell on as it was hurtful to recall, which is why he quickly shook his head free of the past thoughts and focused entirely on the future.

His future with Sans, that is.

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Small hands latched on a large and crisp blanket with a suppressed laugh as a tall character lay sprawled on the floor of the hospital room. His initial reaction was that of fear for his new friend being injured due to the misplaced chair that the far too tall figure couldn't see over his box filled arms, but it quickly dissolved into giggles as the blonde held up his arm with a thumbs up motion. "heh heh... um, you good?"

"YES! MORE EMBARRASSED THAN ANYTHING... BUT PHYSICALLY UNSCATHED!" Papyrus shouted with a cough to quench his growing blush before hastily moving onto his knees and verifying that the box that he had brought in hadn't being crushed. Thankfully it looked fine and after a quick peak of it's contents the blonde allowed a sigh of relief to escape his lips upon noticing the contents were alright.

"you sure? your nose is leaking..." Orange orbs blinked before a gloved hand was brought up to his face and a noise of panic escaped his lungs as a dollop of red awaited his eyes. The officer made quick work of setting the box onto the chair before stealing a few tissues from Sans' bedside, wiping the soft material under his nose before stuffing a stray one up his nostril to stop the bleeding. The cop was quick to laugh the accident off however as he noticed the concerned look that the male on the bed was shooting his way though, not wishing to make the other worry about him over something so small.

"NYEH HEH... THAT WAS RATHER SILLY OF ME." Papyrus mumbled as Sans looked up at him, the taller not missing how his blue orb stayed landed on the now red tissue rather than his face. "REALLY, I'M FINE! JUST A NOSE BLEED."

"bleed? what's that?" Sans asked boldly as he watched the slim male move the box from the seat before sitting down and placing the item in his lap. Papyrus also noticed, with joy mind you, that his friend was getting less and less shy about asking him questions. The officer was thankful for this, as it showed him that Sans trusted him enough to answer any questions he may have and didn't need to fear being ridiculed for asking such things.

"HMM... THAT'S A LITTLE HARD TO ANSWER. BUT I SUPPOSE THE EASIEST EXPLANATION WOULD HAVE TO BE WHEN YOU LOSE BLOOD? FROM AN INJURY OR ILLNESS. BLOOD BEING THE RED STUFF IN YOU THAT YOU NEED TO LIVE." Sans nodded along with a smile, a smile that Papyrus was beginning to think was simply the older's natural expression, as he understood the taller's words immediately. It was a little surprising how fast Sans acknowledged and understood everything, and Papyrus was thankful for that.

The tall male was rather bad at explaining some things after all, and was glad that Sans still seemed to understand what he was trying to portray with words alone.

"you need blood to live... so shouldn't you try and put what you lost back in?"

"OH, I DIDN'T LOSE NEARLY ENOUGH TO CAUSE ANY WORRY. FRET NOT! I AM STILL FILLED WITH ENOUGH BLOOD TO KEEP ME AT MY BEST!" Papyrus chuckled as Sans nodded once more, completely understanding just what exactly the taller meant as the latter made a noise that grabbed the shorter's attention. "BUT LET'S FORGET ABOUT THAT EMBARRASSING SCENE AND INSTEAD FOCUS ON THIS BOX FILLED WITH MYSTERIES!"

"heh heh." Sans' smile softened at the childish statement as Papyrus finally opened the large package with a smile of his own. His hands disappearing into the plain and brown package before coming back out with an even smaller box placed in his hands. "rice?"

"NYEH HEH! SORRY, THIS ISN'T FOOD. BUT! YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY TO EAT VERY SOON!" The officer spoke slyly as Sans cocked an eyebrow in confusion, not understanding the statement as he took the offered box without question. "OPEN IT, OPEN IT!"

"nah." The single eyed male joked with a grin of his own as Papyrus made of noise of distress, making the shorter snort out a small laugh before bringing his hand up in an attempt to cover the noise. Once the short, and more joyous man calmed himself down with an exhale through his nostrils he finally opened the box, cocking an eyebrow in confusion at what awaited him. "... metal?"

"YES! WELL, A VERY SPECIFIC METAL. IT'S A KEY!" A blue orb blinked at the item as he brought it into his own gloved hand, looking the intricately crafted item over intently as Papyrus explained the reason he had been given such an odd present. "IT'S TO OUR HOUSE. I KNOW THIS MAY BE A LITTLE SUDDEN, BUT I FINALLY GOT THE OK FROM YOUR DOCTOR TO TAKE YOU HOME!"

"...really?" Papyrus' eyes softened greatly at the look of hope that now overtook the shorter's features, prompting him to nod in turn before pulling out the rest of the boxes wares. He needed to distract himself from the look on the wide featured males face, as the image of pure joy made the officers heart clench in his chest and a pool of tears to form in his eyes.

It shouldn't take such simple things to make the shorter so happy. It only showed that kindness was not something that the shorter was accustomed too.

"I ALSO GOT YOU THIS... IT'S ALRIGHT IF YOU DON'T WANT TO WEAR IT THOUGH! I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS BETTER TO HAVE SOMETHING TO WEAR UNTIL I COULD TAKE YOU TO PICK YOUR OWN WARDROBE." The blonde blushed as he displayed the newly purchased outfit out to the shorter, watching intently as Sans gently placed the key back into the box before taking the clothing and looking it over.

It was simple being a pair of black Nike track pants with a white stripe going down the sides, a tight fitting white t-shirt, a thick baby blue parka, along with some undergarments. The blonde was awaiting the others approval, only to furrow his brows in his own form of confusion upon seeing the shorter stare at the pair of still plastic wrapped, bright pink socks. Papyrus sighed softly as he assumed the shorter didn't care for the item, and made a motion to explain that he had looked for yellow but couldn't find any so the cop panicked and grabbed the first pair he had seen, but was stopped in his tracks as a small trail of tears escaped a wide blue orb.

It was quickly wiped away, but Papyrus hadn't missed it and was unable to speak as the shorter hugged the item close to his chest and beamed up at him with a closed eye and each of his pearly white teeth showing. "i love these... i wasn't allowed more than one pair of socks before... i love this color. more than yellow."

Papyrus shook his head quickly before wiping away his own tears and rubbing his hand over the others own appendage that was still tightly clenched around the attire. "I'M GLAD YOU LIKE THEM. THE UM, THE COLOR IS PINK. NYEH HEH..."

The officer mentally smacked himself at the lackluster response, but honestly didn't know what else to say as he watched Sans rub his eye once more before gently tracing his free fingertips over the gift. "thank you..."

"NO NEED TO THANK ME! I'M JUST HAPPY THAT YOU LIKE THEM. BUT WHEN WE GO SHOPPING, THERE'S AN ENTIRE STORE IN THE MALL DEDICATED TO SOCKS! I'LL BE SURE TO TAKE YOU ONCE YOU'RE FEELING BETTER."

"i... i'm sorry." Orange eyes blinked widely at the random statement, watching as a curtain of white locks rained down on the shorter's face and kept his eye out of the taller's view.

"HUH? WHATEVER FOR?"

"all of this. you've done so much for me and i haven't done anythin' in return... i... i don't want you to do anymore. s'not fair to you. i'm not worth all the effort you're goin' through."

There was a moment of silence as Papyrus took in the others words, eyes wide at just how little Sans seemed to think of himself before they clenched shut. The blonde knew that building up the shorter's confidence was going to be hard from the second he met him, but that didn't mean the taller's heart didn't bleed as he listened to just how poor of an image Sans had instilled upon himself thanks to how poorly he had been mistreated all his life.

It wasn't fair. Sans was a wonderful, kind, and sweet person. Papyrus was going to prove this to him, even if it took the officer the rest of his life.

"SANS. CAN YOU PLEASE LOOK AT ME?"

"no thanks..." Sans' deep voice was choked as he spoke, hands still gripping the socks as he desperately kept his tears at bay, obviously not wishing to show the other such a sign of weakness. Papyrus simply sighed gently at the response before removing his hand from Sans' own only to quickly and gently place the limb on the shorter's stubble covered cheek, stroking his thumb against the skin as he had done to calm the other down in the past until Sans was ready to face him.

It took a few minutes, but Sans finally allowed himself to sniff away his tears before shyly locking his eye onto Papyrus own pair. The taller simply smiled gently as he continued his motions, portraying nothing but calmness as he spoke. "YOU ARE WORTH ALL OF THIS AND MORE, SANS. I LOVE MAKING YOU HAPPY, WHETHER THAT BE THROUGH GIFTS OR FACTS. I KNEW FROM THE SECOND THAT WE MET THAT IT WAS MY DESTINY TO MAKE SURE YOU SPENT THE REST OF YOUR DAYS FILLED WITH JOY! EVEN IF YOU PUSH ME AWAY, I'LL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU."

Sans' smile almost disappeared at the words as his lip quivered in warning, only for him to quickly pull the shocked officer close to his form and bury his face into the taller's shoulder, sobbing quietly as Papyrus moved his hand to the back of the others thick locks, simply keeping the limb there for support as he allowed a few stray tears of his own to cascade down his cheeks.

This continued for what felt like hours before Sans quickly pushed himself off the other and forced out a laugh as he wiped his face free of the salty liquid with the hospitals blanket. "sorry bout that..."

"DON'T APOLOGIZE. I'M THANKFUL THAT I CAN BE A SHOULDER FOR YOU TO CRY ON. BOTH LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY." Papyrus spoke lamely, prompting the shorter to chuckle once more as he finally settled himself down and leaned back into his pillows. "YOU THINK YOU'RE READY TO GO NOW?"

"ya." Sans nodded with a smile before quickly sitting himself back up and removing his shirt in one fluid motion, making Papyrus flush brightly at the sight of so much exposed skin before he coughed into his hand and looked away. Another thing he needed to teach the injured male was how he shouldn't just strip in front of anyone, not that the officer blamed him of course. This 'daddy' character had obviously imprinted some messed up habits onto the male and Papyrus wasn't going to blame such actions on Sans for even a second.

This particular habit however would need to be spoken on before he preformed it in front of the wrong person. Like anyone other than Papyrus, the officer thought with a frown as he waited for Sans to make himself decent while being a gentleman and not stealing even a single peak at the others scarred skin.

"comfy." The blonde took this as his Que to look back at the shorter, only to blinked and smile for what felt like the hundredth time that day at the site that awaited him.

He looked perfect in that outfit.

"YOU LOOK AMAZING, SANS! DOES EVERYTHING FIT ALRIGHT?"

"mhm. s'nice." Sans responded with a nod as Papyrus finally stood himself up and held out a hand for the shorter to take. Sans did so without question as he allowed the taller to help him out of bed and lead him towards a wheelchair placed in the corner of the room. "chair with wheels?"

"EXACTLY! NYEH HEH! IT'S A RULE THAT ANYONE WHO IS ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL NEEDS TO LEAVE IN A WHEELCHAIR. FOR SAFETY PURPOSES."

"wait, it's actually called a wheel chair? heh. that's funny." Papyrus laughed at the surprise littered statement as he gently sat the older into the leather bound chair before unlocking the large equipment's wheels and steering him out of the room as slowly as he could.

The officer had asked earlier if the hallway could be free of any people when he took Sans into it, not wishing for the short male to panic before the blonde had a chance to warm him up to the very idea of being surrounded by strangers. Which would have to be done in the car considering his house was currently filled with people who were going to most likely overwhelm the poor male. Papyrus sighed at the thought as he stepped into the elevator and pressed the lobby button, watching with softened features as Sans looked everything over intently.

It was fascinating to Papyrus how much childlike innocence Sans seemed to display upon seeing such new and mysterious sights, even though such images were currently nothing more than the buttons on the elevator and a small poster that proclaimed that it's readers should consider getting their annual flu shot. Either way, it was adorable to watch the sitting man take in his surroundings.

"ALRIGHT. THERE WILL BE... PEOPLE IN THE LOBBY AND MOST LIKELY OUTSIDE. BUT THEY WON'T PAY US ANY MIND OR COME NEAR US, I PROMISE!" The blonde spoke slowly in warning as the elevator neared their destination. Sans simply nodded in turn as he sucked in a breath of air, preparing himself for the idea of other people without speaking as the figure steering his chair gently squeezed his shoulder in reassurance. The shorter quickly brought his own hand up and clenched it around the taller's gloved limb as the elevators door opened and he was face to face with a crowd of strangers as a sort of lifeline.

Papyrus then needed to move the chair with one hand as Sans' grip didn't seem to be relenting as he harnessed all of his fear of such a new situation into the officers fingers. The blonde didn't mind in the slightest however as he flipped his hand and awkwardly held the others small appendage in his own, gently squeezing the covered limb as he slowly walked them both out the front doors, thankfully not having to speak with reception as he had done so earlier and instead was permitted to simply leave the building quickly and without any confrontation.

At least, that's what he thought was going to happen, but as a man with shifty eyes and a huddled form entered the hospitals front entrance far too suddenly, Papyrus knew that he would need to act fast. His training kicked in before the man even had a chance to speak as he let go of Sans and ran to the figure, grabbing the adults hands the second he released his coat to display an array of weapons hidden under the thick material. The blonde screamed at everyone to get back as he kicked his foot into the crevice of the mans legs, forcing him onto his knees as the stranger yelled out profanity for being caught so quickly.

Once on his knees the officer pulled a zip tie out of his pocket with the hand that wasn't keeping the squirming mans own appendages at bay before he quickly wrapped the thick plastic onto the criminals wrists. He then allowed himself to relax slightly as he removed all the weapons on the strangers form, speaking to reception in order to tell them to call the police while doing so. "YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT. ANYTHING YOU SAY CAN AND WILL BE USED AGAINST YOU IN A COURT OF LAW. YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY, AND TO HAVE AN ATTORNEY PRESENT DURING ANY QUESTIONING."

As the cop spoke out the figures rights, the male continued to yell out swears and threats as Papyrus finally checked the mans shoes for any further contraband. Once it was deemed safe, Papyrus was now in a situation in which he needed to wait for the on duty officers to show up before he could leave the scene. His orange orbs directed themselves at Sans in order to apologize for such a unforeseen circumstance getting in the way of him getting home, only to blush at the look that the chair bound figure was currently throwing his way.

His single blue orb seemed to almost be filled with stars as he watched Papyrus hold the dangerous man onto the floor, his smile wider than ever as his hands clenched into fists around his shirt. "so cool..."

The officer couldn't help but blush as he laughed nervously and directed his eyes away from his friend in fear of the shorter laughing at his flushed features and instead kept his attention locked on the figure who was still attempting to weasel his way out of the cops hold. Papyrus did take a moment to flash his badge at the man, thinking that would at least make him realize that he was in a no win situation, but it didn't deter the malicious characters motions and screams in the slightest. Honestly, the blonde thought with a frown as his patience began wearing thin at how how loud this man was yelling, why would he choose a hospital of all places to attack.

Thankfully, the bound man stopped all at once when he turned his head to the side, his brown and glazed over eyes locking onto something that halted him in his tracks and prompted Papyrus to look at the source of his interest.

Sans. The officer thought with a frown as he realized the criminals eyes were directed solely on the white haired male by the elevator. "He's... He needs him!"

"WHAT?" Papyrus practically growled as he noticed Sans was starting to look more scared than amazed as the man locked eyes with him.

"He won't pay me unless I get him!" The officer back peddled slightly at the screamed statement, but he didn't have any time to dwell on it as two fully clad officers ran into the building and bee lined towards his form.

"Officer Font. What's the situation?" One of the burly men asked hastily as Papyrus got off of the man and instead allowed the two to take over. One of which immediately began gathering the weapons scattered on the floor, while the other picked the man up by his arms and held him at bay. Of course, the blonde thought with a frown, the man would choose now to be silent.

"THIS MAN CAME IN ADORNED HEAD TO TOE IN THOSE WEAPONS, WHICH WERE CONCEALED UNDER HIS COAT. MOTIVE IS UNKNOWN AS HE WENT INTO HYSTERICS WHEN APPREHENDED." Papyrus explained curtly as the taller nodded in understanding. "I'M UNSURE IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE APART OF THIS. BUT IT WOULDN'T HURT TO REPLAY THE LOBBIES SECURITY FOOTAGE FOR ANY POTENTIAL LOOK OUTS."

"Understood. We'll bring him to the station first and file a report. We'll let you know as soon as we discover a motive or anything further." The man said politely as the leaner officer nodded his thanks before watching with stoic features as his two co-workers took both the now quiet man and the plethora of weapons out of the building. Once the situation was diffused Papyrus let out a breath of relief before turning back to Sans with a small smile of reassurance.

"I'M SORRY ABOUT THAT... SOME PEOPLE AREN'T EXACTLY GOOD." The blonde said softly as he ran a hand through the shorter's locks, calming the male down slightly as the other simple nodded.

"s'ok. but what was that thing you showed him?" The single eyed man asked softly as Papyrus moved to the back of his chair and continued their previously interrupted journey out of the building. "the shiny thing?"

"HMM... OH! MY BADGE?" Papyrus asked as he used one of his hands to pull the stated item out of his lapel pocket, continuing to steer the shorter's chair while doing so. "THIS THING?"

"ya. why'd you show him it?" Sans asked as he gently took the badge and looked it over, allowing the taller to have more control on the wheel chair as they finally exited the building and entered the large parking lot. Papyrus thankfully had parked just a few feet away from the front doors, so he didn't have far to walk.

"IT'S MY BADGE FOR WORK, IT SHOWS PEOPLE THAT I'M AN OFFICER OF THE LAW. SO, I HAVE THE PROPER JURISDICTION TO PUT THEM IN PRISON." He explained with a smile as the other hummed in confusion.

"you're an officer?"

"YUP! A COP, FOR SHORTER TERMS. I PROTECT PEOPLE BY STOPPING CRIMINALS, WHICH ARE LIKE THE MAN WHO YOU JUST SAW. THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO WISH TO CAUSE HARM TO OTHERS, FOR WHATEVER REASON." A sad tone overtook the taller's voice as he stopped out front of his car and opened the passenger side door.

"but you stopped him. like... like a hero." Papyrus stopped his motions as Sans too stopped his caresses on the officers symbol of employment and instead craned his neck up to get a good view of the taller from his un-moving perch in the chair. "you're the coolest..."

"I... NYEH HEH... UM, I.." The officer attempted to speak as he felt his face flare up yet again. "I SUPPOSE I AM! NYEH HEH!"

"heh." Was the only response as Sans continued his look of amazement, prompting Papyrus to clear his throat before gesturing towards the car.

"DO YOU NEED HELP GETTING IN?" He asked as the shorter finally directed his eye onto the vehicle and not his own form with a small nod of agreement.

"please." The injured male then gave the taller back his badge before accepting the outstretched hand of assistance, allowing the taller to lead him into the passenger seat where the blonde quickly buckled a thick leather strap around his chest and hips before closing the door. Sans watched lazily as his savior pushed the now unneeded wheelchair up against the building before turning back on his heel and entering the car as well.

Which, Sans thought idly as he looked around the cars inner's at all the foreign buttons and holes, Papyrus did a rather good job of explaining before hand. It was obviously because the cop knew that the shorter would ask what the large car was as soon as he saw it, and wanted to prepare the males mind for when he would need to enter it.

Papyrus was so kind, Sans thought with a soft smile as the character in question buckled himself in and turned the key into the ignition, making the shorter jump slightly at the roar of the engine before he allowed himself to calm down upon realizing they weren't about to explode anytime soon. "WHEW. THAT WAS... SOMETHING, NYEH HEH. SORRY, I DIDN'T EVEN THINK THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT WOULD OF HAPPENED SO SUDDENLY."

"s'ok. you saved everyone there. so it's all good." Sans responded as he gently ran his hand over the cars dashboard, flipping the cooling fans back and forth with a smile as it directed the wind in whatever direction he pointed it at.

"WELL, I'M JUST GLAD I COULD HELP. BUT... THERE IS SOMETHING I NEED TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT BEFORE WE GET HOME." The blonde started in order to get the others full attention, not bothering to continue until the shorter's view was planted on him alone and not the cars many trinkets. Not that he blamed the other for his curiosity, but he knew that this matter needed to be spoken on before he gave the shorter a heart attack later on. "SO YOU KNOW HOW I SAID I DON'T LIVE ALONE?"

"mhm."

"WELL, I NEED TO WARN YOU THAT I LIVE WITH... QUIET A FEW PEOPLE. THERE ARE 5 BESIDES MYSELF IN TOTAL, BUT WHEN WE GET THERE SOME MORE PEOPLE WILL BE PRESENT." Sans nodded along as Papyrus pulled onto the road after verifying such an action was safe. "I CAN TELL THEM TO WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE MORE ACQUAINTED WITH THE IDEA OF PEOPLE HOWEVER? IF YOU THINK SOMETHING LIKE THIS MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO OVERWHELMING."

Sans thought for a moment as he played with the seat belt keeping him in place before shaking his head briefly. "nah. i'll be ok. but um.. can i know who's going to be there?"

"OF COURSE! THERE WILL BE ASGORE, HE IS A RATHER LARGE FELLOW BUT HAS ONE OF THE KINDEST HEARTS IN THE WORLD. TORIEL, A LADY WHO IS EQUALLY AS KIND AND WHO IS MARRIED TO ASGORE. THEY THEN HAVE THREE CHILDREN, FRISK, CHARA, AND ASRIEL. BOTH CHARA AND ASRIEL ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL WHILE FRISK IS STILL IN ELEMENTARY, SO THEY ARE A LOT YOUNGER THAN THE OTHER TWO." Papyrus explained with a smile as Sans listened along, not wishing to miss even a single detail that his friend was railing off as it was helping him piece together just who he was going to be meeting in a few short moments. "AND THEN THERE ARE TWO MORE PEOPLE WHO DON'T LIVE WITH US, BUT WISHED TO MEET YOU. FIRST IS UNDYNE, A COP LIKE MYSELF AND MY CLOSEST FRIEND. SHE IS... VERY LOUD AND RATHER HOSTILE, BUT SHE IS A BIG SOFTY ON THE INSIDE, SO DON'T LET HER SCARE YOU! AND SHE WILL ALSO BE BRINGING HER GIRLFRIEND, ALPHYS, WHO'S A SCIENTIST."

"they all sound nice. you... do you think they'll want me to stay? i don't wanna intrude on their home."

"NONSENSE! THEY ARE VERY EXCITED TO MEET YOU, AND HAPPY TO HAVE YOU STAYING WITH US! DON'T FRET ON SUCH THINGS, SANS. TRUST ME WHEN I SAY YOU COULD NEVER BE A BOTHER. OK?" Sans nodded softly, making his locks bounce up and down briefly in a motion of agreement. Papyrus could tell that Sans was simply putting on a face however as he didn't trust the others words alone in telling him that he was wanted.

Papyrus didn't think such a thing would ever stop breaking his heart.

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Pulling into the driveway was a small preview at what was to come as Papyrus noticed that while he was gone, his friends had decorated the outside of their home as well. Making the large house now covered head to toe in an array of blue and yellow streamers, as well as a large banner that read 'Welcome Home' hanging on the top of the front porch in bright yellow paint. It was inviting to say the least, and the officer was thankful that they had done so as Sans seemed to be almost enraptured by the colorful items.

"woah... your house is really colorful." The shorter said through a chuckle as Papyrus gave out a laugh of his own.

"OUR HOUSE! AND YES, I SUPPOSE THEY MAY OF WENT A LITTLE OVERBOARD IN THEIR DECORATING. WHICH MOST LIKELY MEANS THAT THE INSIDE OF THE HOUSE WILL BLIND US." Sans chuckled at the statement, making the taller smile at the reaction as he turned off his vehicle and pocketed the key before un-latching his seat belt and gesturing for Sans to wait a moment. The blonde then wasted no time in jogging to the other side of the car and opening the door, smiling a little wider as he noticed that the shorter had already unbuckled his belt and was ready to exit the car himself.

Which the officer allowed the round featured teenager to do on his own with his own long arms outstretched just in case the shorter needed any help or happened to trip. He didn't thankfully, and the two then walked up to the houses porch next to one another, only to stop at the front door for a final moment of preparation. "ARE YOU SURE YOU'RE READY FOR THIS?"

"course, pap's. i mean, you'll be there with me... right?" Papyrus nodded with a smile, happy that such a simple nod of agreement could ease the others nerves enough to make the shorter smile in turn and direct his attention back at the door.

It would be fine. Because as Sans said, Papyrus would be there with him every step of the way.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tbc.


	4. Meetings

The sight of the houses interior was almost too much for Sans' eye to bear, as many colors pierced his retina with little warning and caused the short man to blink widely in an attempt to adjust his orb to the image instilled before him. That however, was not something that the newly named male bothered to focus on any further as the people swarming the large room took more of his attention than anything else.

Sans, upon standing in the doorway with Papyrus behind him, tried to take in just who exactly he was looking at based on the officers short explanations beforehand. The only person he could piece the face too was Asgore however, as Sans recalled him as being the biggest character in the home. Everyone else was a mystery to the injured character, and prompted Sans to wrap his covered arms around his stomach in a defensive stature as so many different eyes were planted on his form.

Papyrus noticed the action as he set his gloved palms onto the shorter's shoulders, gently rubbing the area to relax his friend before walking into the house himself and smiling at his family and friends who were now currently running up to the door to greet their new house mate. "ALRIGHT, SO EVERYONE! I WANT TO INTRODUCE YOU TO SANS!"

"...sup." Sans cursed himself mentally at the greeting, not wanting something so stupid to explode from his mouth but not being able to say anything else as he practically huddled into the blonde to his lefts figure.

"Hello, dear! I am Toriel, it's a pleasure to meet you." The tallest and white haired woman smiled brightly as she pushed herself forward and quickly brought a hand up for the bandage covered man to shake, only to back peddle at the reaction she received. Sans seemed to almost flinch as she raised her hand into view and closed his only eye shut tightly.

As if he was anticipating being struck.

"O-OH! IT'S NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN, MISS TORIEL!" Papyrus yelled suddenly, startling everyone in the house as he reached forward and took the large hand into his own, making sure Sans had opened his orb before he shook the limb briefly and let go. The motherly figure seemed to of gotten just what exactly her adopted son was doing with the action as she then turned back to Sans and offered her hand once more.

The males small hand was then brought up slowly, eye darting from between both the ladies outstretched limb and her face before finally clasping his own appendage into Toriels own. Sans then moved his arm up and down in a very robotic fashion before locking eyes with the woman and speaking. "it's nice to see you again, miss toriel."

"PFFT..." Papyrus, among a few others in the home, couldn't help but chuckle at the words. It was obvious that he was simply trying to duplicate just what the officer had done moments ago, and as cute as it was, it caused a wave of confusion to paint the more mature characters in the home upon realizing that Sans had never commenced in this simple greeting before. "SANS, YOU'VE NEVER MET HER BEFORE, SILLY."

"...right. whoops." The shorter diverted his eye at the statement, thinking back on his words and blushing upon remembering that he had said something so awkward. Sans couldn't help it though, as he had never been surrounded by so many people before and was honestly feeling a twinge of pain in his lungs as he felt all eyes locked on his form. "sorry."

"No need to apologize, honey." Toriel giggled with a smile before taking a step back and allowing her husband to move forward with a large smile planted on the mans features.

"Howdy. I am Asgore, it's very nice to meet you, Sans." The man spoke in a much softer tone than Sans had expected of the large figure, it was relaxing in contrast to his scary appearance. The two then shook hands briefly, this time the shorter simply nodded in greeting rather than speaking any further and embarrassing himself once again.

"And I'm Undyne!" Sans jumped as a red haired woman pushed herself past the large man and planted herself right in front of the injured males form, grinning far too widely as she invaded the shorter's personal space. Papyrus made a noise of warning from Sans' side at the action, but it went ignored as the eye patch clad girl grabbed Sans by the arms and locked eyes with him. "You're the nerd that Papyrus has been so obsessed with, huh?"

"... i'm sans. not nerd." Undyne barked out a laugh at the confusion littered statement before she picked the now wide eyed male into the air to hold him up to her own eye view.

"UNDYNE!"

"Oh, zip it. I'm not gonna hurt him. Looks like someone already beat me too it, anyways." The lady seemed to almost take on a sad and angry laced tone as Sans looked over to Papyrus for help. The teenager simply gave the shorter a shaky smile of reassurance, telling the man that he wouldn't be hurt as Undyne looked his form over. "So, short-stuff. What happened to you?"

".. i 'unno." Sans voice shook as the woman's fingers wrapped around his biceps and held his now shaking form in the air. He didn't like this. It was weird how this woman could hold him up with such ease, and showed Sans that she wasn't someone who he wanted to get on the wrong side of.

"The heck kind of answer is that?!" Undyne shouted with a growl lacing her tone as Sans brought his hands up to cover his face, hiding himself poorly from the female before a new set of hands grasped his hips and pulled him out of Undyne's hold.

"I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH, UNDYNE." Papyrus spoke harshly as he pulled Sans into his side and wrapped his arms around the shorter's back, rubbing the flat surface soothingly as the older huddled into his side. His orange orbs softened at the action as he ignored the concerned looks that everyone was now throwing their way as he whispered words of encouragement into his friends hair, only stopping when Sans' hands unclenched from the taller's shirt and relaxed at the older's sides.

Papyrus then leaned down slightly to smile at the shorter, face lightening even further as it prompted the other to mimic his features. He then straightened out his back and shot a glare at his friend in warning, making the woman back peddle as she threw her hands into the air in a surrendering motion.

She wasn't exactly used to her partner portraying any emotion other than joy after all, so to see such anger pour out of the teenagers eyes was more than a little off putting. It was quickly masked by a smile however as the officer realized that he couldn't blame his friend for her behavior, she didn't know just what Sans had been through after all.

No one but Papyrus knew. He reminded himself with a quick sigh before gesturing for Alphys to come forward. She would be the best to use to diffuse the situation.

"H-Hi, Sans..." The short blonde stuttered, gaining the now calmer mans attention and making the equally as short character turn on his heel to face her. With his body still pressed into Papyrus' side, Sans blinked widely at the girl before smiling brightly, much to everyone's confusion.

"you're... my height." Sans spoke softly in amazement as he walked away from the officer and closer to the glasses wearing woman who was giggling at the look of wonder placed on the strangers features as he slowly brought his hand up to press down on the woman's hair, showing her actual height with a larger smile upon realizing that the girl was actually shorter than himself. "woah..."

"Pfft... I-I am p-pretty short, huh?" Alphys played along as Sans blushed and took a step back, immediately shoving his hands into his pockets in embarrassment at being so forward with a stranger.

"m'sorry... i didn't mean to do that." The males deep voice was slightly muffled as he shoved his face into his sweater while directing his eye towards the floor. "sorry..."

"N-No need. I-It's rare for m-me to see someone m-my height too! Hehe..." Alphys reassured him as she waved her hands in the air. Not wanting to say anything wrong and join her girlfriend in recieving a glare from the male officer in the house. "I... I l-like your gloves?"

"oh! pap's gave em to me!" Sans spoke with a more enthusiastic tone as he displayed his hands into the air and smiled at the attention towards the gift.

"NYEH HEH! I'M JUST GLAD YOU LIKE THEM SO MUCH!" Papyrus chimed in as he ran a hand through his short friends locks, being sure to avoid pulling on the strands as the others around the two smiled at the display. The blonde cop then gestured towards the remaining three characters in the home, only two of which rushed over for introductions.

"Howdy! I'm Asriel." The tall yet smaller version of Asgore greeted as he held a hand out to be shook, smiling as Sans grasped his palm and gave it a more fluid shake before letting go. A blue eye then looked down at the other child with a smile, getting onto a knee in order to be face to face with the brunette only to blink in shock as their hands began to fly all over the place. "Oh, they're saying it's nice to meet you."

"i know." Sans responded with a smile as he moved his hands in turn, prompting the short kid to smile widely and continue their actions with confidence. 

_You know sign language?_ They signed happily as Sans nodded in turn, much to the others in the houses shock as they watched the two interact without a single word being shared.

 _yup. well i call it hands. sign language sounds more cool though._ The taller of the two chuckled as the younger laughed in turn.

 _My names Frisk!_ They finally introduced themselves before holding out a hand and clasping their appendage with Sans' own as the taller nodded with a smile.

"nice to meet you, frisk." He responded softly before standing back up, Papyrus moving up to his side quickly once the meeting was over.

"YOU KNOW SIGN? HOW?" The officer asked in disbelief as Sans simply shrugged in turn.

"dad knew it. used it sometimes." He shrugged once again after the muttered explanation, making the only character who hadn't been introduced to Sans chime in.

"You're dad? Why aren't you staying with him? Why are you coming here?" They practically growled out from their spot in the back, making Papyrus shoot his eyes at the rebellious teenager who didn't even flinch at the many looks now being sent his way. Everyone else simply remained quiet, they too wondering the same thing as Chara but too afraid to voice it so straightforwardly. "What? It's a good question."

"THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT. HE'S HERE NOW. GET USED TO IT." Papyrus spoke through clenched teeth upon realizing that everyone else was waiting for the answer as well. He may of miscalculated just how few questions everyone would ask in regards to their new house mate.

Maybe he should of been honest from the start.

"... they don't know?" Sans asked in nothing more than a whisper as his wide orb looked up at Papyrus in question. He had assumed that the people he was going to be living with would know just how unstable his mentality was at the moment. Sans felt like it would of been fair to warn them.

"I... I THOUGHT YOU WOULD PREFER FOR SUCH THINGS TO BE KEPT SECRET?" The officer mumbled more to himself than anything before Sans tapped his arm and gained the taller's undivided attention, smiling once he did so.

"s'ok. i mean, i know m'weird. so it's for the best if they know how... stupid i am." Papyrus gasped in anger at the tone before he too got onto his knee, mimicking the shorter earlier action in order to make the injured male look slightly down at him.

"DON'T EVER CALL YOURSELF STUPID AGAIN-" He started with a frown before sighing and standing back up. "...HOW ABOUT WE GRAB SOME FOOD, SIT DOWN, THEN WE CAN TELL EVERYONE TOGETHER?"

"...ok." Sans agreed before the two turned back to look at the silent party goers, prompting the motherly figure in the home to smile and gesture towards the large table covered with an array of treats and drinks.

"Please everyone, dig in!"

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A tear threatened to escape a clenched shut eye as the characters mouth filled with a warm and mushy substance. It was amazing, he thought to himself as he used his fork to scoop up a dollop of the white foam on top and shovel that into his mouth as well.

This 'pie', as Toriel had called it before offering him the treat, was beyond amazing. Honestly, Sans thought with a smile as he continued to shove forkful after forkful of the large slice between his teeth, it was the best thing he had ever tasted. "mhhmm..."

"I see you like the pie?" A sweet voice chimed in as she heard the shorter's moans of pleasure upon letting the treat touch his taste buds. "It's pumpkin!"

"s'good!" Sans responded to the tall woman with a mouthful of orange mush still in his mouth, making Papyrus wince at the sight before laughing himself. The officer was glad that food seemed to make his new friend happy, and even more glad that he lived with such good cooks.

He himself wasn't much use when it came to the kitchen after all, no matter how much he tried to be. The cops cooking lessons with his partner weren't helping either as the female officer was pretty bad at the culinary arts as well. But, he wasn't going to let that damper his mood as the blonde was making it a valid point from this day on to practice more than usual.

It would make Sans happy after all.

The thought was pushed aside however as he among everyone else planted on the living rooms furniture barked out a laugh upon seeing Sans and Frisk trying one another's desserts, signing to one another right after in order to let the other know how good it was. They were already bonding, Papyrus thought with a smile, but he knew that such a thing would happen already. Frisk was a good kid, and Sans seemed more like a brotherly figure than he realized as the short and scar covered male ruffled the child's thick locks with a fork gently hanging out of his still smiling mouth and prompting the mute child to smile widely at the attention.

It was adorable, but not enough to halt Papyrus' thoughts in regards to what had occurred earlier that day. The lean officer had been trying to ignore it in favor of keeping an eye on his friend, but it was impossible to avoid forever. The character that had entered the hospital earlier that day was obviously after Sans with how he had reacted upon seeing the young man.

_"He's... He needs him! He won't pay me unless I get him!"_

The words that the criminal currently in the police forces custody screamed out replayed in the blondes mind as he leaned back in his seat and locked his eyes on the cup on fruit punch placed in his gloved hands. Sans' captor was still at large, and Papyrus wasn't even able to get a good look at the mans face. So he could virtually be anywhere.

And as much as the blonde wanted to tell his fellow officers about what the man had said, he already knew that none of them would take it seriously. Especially considering they had sent him a text message just a few moments ago saying the man was both high and intoxicated, so anything that he said was moot as it would simply be chalked up to the delirious babbles of a drunk.

Which wasn't fair, Papyrus thought to himself while forcing a smile on his face as he turned his attention to the others in the room who were currently attempting to get Sans to try everything on the table, they shouldn't let people get away with crimes just because they made the choice to drink or do drugs before hand. They should be punished for their crimes regardless of what was coursing through their system, in order for them to not do it again rather than have them believe that they can do anything they want once drunk.

"-try some?" Orange orbs blinked in shock as a deep voice filled his senses and pushed all further thoughts to the back of his mind.

"HUH?"

"wanna try some? this is... um..." Sans started only to trail off as the 6th dish he had tasted failed to leave his lips, eye downcast as he realized he forgot what it was called.

"OH, THAT'S PUDDING. IT'S GOOD, HUH?" Papyrus chimed in with a smile as Sans nodded happily before offering a spoon out to the taller once more, who chuckled in turn as he leaned over and took in the offered dessert. The chocolate coated the officers tongue immediately and made him swallow quickly as the sugary substance wasn't honestly the blondes favorite. But Papyrus choked the treat down with a smile in order to appease the shorter, who smiled in turn as his friend tasted the newly discovered treat. "OH MY GOSH, HOW MUCH HAVE YOU EATEN, SANS?"

The male in question looked down at the many plates that now covered the small coffee table by his feet before humming a loud as he counted out the dishes in his mind. "um... not enough?"

"NYEH HEH! YOU'RE GOING TO EXPLODE IF YOU EAT ANYMORE." The blonde joked, only to make a noise of panic at the fear that now coated the shorter's features. "OH- NOT ACTUALLY! IT'S JUST AN EXPRESSION!"

"oh..." Sans nodded in turn in understanding before Undyne yelled out a noise of aggravation.

"How do you not know that's not actually going to happen?!" She shouted as she stood up and towered over everyone else. "Seriously, I want an explanation!"

"k." Sans seemed unbothered by the sudden change of atmosphere as he simply shrugged and looked over at Papyrus. "you wanna say? cause uh... i'm not really too sure how to explain it."

"IF YOU WANT..." The taller sighed before turning his attention back to his friends and family. "WELL TO START WITH I GUESS I SHOULD ASK FOR THE KIDS TO LEAVE? MAYBE GO PLAY OUT BACK FOR A BIT?"

Frisk frowned at the request, wanting to hear just what exactly her new friend had gone through before a hand ruffled their hair once more and Sans leaned down to look at them. "you got swings?"

The shorter blinked before smiling and nodding, grabbing the short mans hand before jumping off the couch and leading him to the back door. Papyrus didn't complain though, as speaking on the shorter's past would be a lot easier if Sans wasn't here to remember it all. He didn't wish to put him through that hurt again, after all.

"rad." Was all the injured male said before both his and Frisk's footsteps disappeared out the back of the kitchen with a thump of the homes screen door. After that, all eyes were on Papyrus as he sighed once again and locked eyes with each of his friends as he braced himself for what was to come.

\---------------------------------------------------------

"Oh my god..." Toriel held a large hand up to her mouth as tears leaked down her cheeks, Asgore portraying the same amount of emotion as he hugged his wife close to his side. They had all remained silent, Undyne included, as the young cop explained just what exactly their new house mate had been through prior to Papyrus finding him in the abandoned house. "How could someone do that to someone? Especially someone as sweet as Sans?"

"I DON'T KNOW... BUT WHOEVER IT WAS IS STILL OUT THERE. I DIDN'T EVEN GET THE CHANCE TO SEE HIS FEATURES." Papyrus finished off with a sigh before surveying his friends for their reactions. Most were crying as they eyes locked onto the floor at their feet, some seemed angry at the fact that the kind man they had just met had such a dark past, while a single character looked guilty.

Chara was that one, as they had been aggressive to the shorter from the start and obviously felt bad about his words upon realizing just why Sans acted the way he did. Papyrus paid it little mind however as he stood himself up and started trekking towards the back door. "I UNDERSTAND THAT SUCH NEWS IS... HARD TO TAKE IN. AND I APOLOGIZE TO YOU UNDYNE FOR NOT SAYING ANYTHING SOONER, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD MENTION." Everyone was silent as Papyrus simply stopped at the door and watched as Sans pushed Frisk far to gently on the swing, pretending to be out of breath after each soft motion. "EARLIER TODAY A MAN CAME INTO THE HOSPITAL SANS WAS IN, LITTERED HEAD TO TOE IN WEAPONS. HE... HE WAS OBVIOUSLY THERE FOR SANS. HE SAID THAT SOMEONE WAS GOING TO PAY HIM TOO, SO WHOEVER KEPT SANS PRISONER DOESN'T SEEM AS THOUGH HE IS LETTING HIM GO EASILY."

Undyne made a noise of shock as she stood up and looked over at her partner, locking eyes with the male in anger before nodding and crossing her thick arms above her chest. "We'll find this guy. I'll see if our stations sketch artist can come by later and get Sans to explain what this fuck head looks like. Till then, the nerd should stay in the house."

"I agree." Asgore chimed in softly as he rubbed his hand against his still sobbing wife's arm. "He shouldn't leave until this man is behind bars. We can't risk him leaving."

"YES, MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. HE WON'T LIKE IT, HELL, I DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF TRAPPING HIM INSIDE AS HE SPENT HIS ENTIRE LIFE IN THAT SMALL ROOM. BUT IT'S FOR HIS OWN GOOD." The officer sighed for what felt like the hundredth time that day as he pushed himself off the door, nodding to himself at the spoken agreement before opening the door and smiling as he immediately caught the attention of the two who were now looking into an ant hill. "YOU CAN COME BACK IN!"

"naw. i'm gonna join the ants." Sans joked, making Frisk mutely laugh at his side as they stood themselves up and brushed their pants free of any dirt. Sans did the same upon seeing the shorter's movements before bidding the bugs a farewell and walking side by side with his new friend. Frisk stayed glued to the others side as they walked back in and marched to the snack table, where the taller of the two quickly poured the two some juice before moving back into the living room and sitting on the carpeted floor rather than the couch. Still speaking amongst one another as the others wiped their tears away. "i think i'd made a pretty good ant queen."

 _And I shall be the king!_ Frisk signed happily before taking a sip of the bright red liquid and making the other snort out a small chuckle at the joyous response to his weird statement.

"then it's a plan. together we will rule the ants and make them bring us all the crumbs we want." Frisk nodded in agreement as they gestured for the taller to clink cups with them to seal the deal, only to realize that Sans didn't know what they were doing which then made the child gently take a hold of his wrist and bring it forward to hit their own red cup with his.

_Cheers!_

"cheers." Sans repeated as he then drank his own drink and looked around at the people who were still staring at the two with smiles now planted on their features. He had noticed their depressing expressions upon entering the room, but chose to ignore it as he wasn't exactly familiar with anyone here and thought it would be awkward to talk to them when they were obviously distressed. "sup?"

"You two seemed to of hit it off." Toriel spoke slightly wetly as she watched her child interact with Sans. It wasn't unusual for the young genderless character to connect with others, but this was even more severe than usual. It was as if Frisk and Sans had known one another their whole lives as they spoke and joked around with one another.

Asriel may be the child's brother, but Sans seemed to be more of one than even the child's actual relatives as he signed yet another joke at the shorter with his free hand and made the shorter snort aloud in an attempt to vocalize their laughter. It was a pointless endeavor as Frisk wasn't even able to make any noises at all. Not that they were really bothered by that fact, as the child was more than used to it.

 _I like him! We better keep him forever!_ Frisk signed to their mother with a wide smile, prompting the adults to laugh at the enthusiasm and Sans to avert his eye at the praise. He instead directed his gaze at Papyrus, who smiled down at him in turn with a nod to confirm that everyone except the youngest child knew just what the shorter had been through, and allowed Sans to sigh in relief at not having to explain it all himself. Especially considering how he didn't exactly know what was right and what was wrong in his past, so if he were to be the one to explain it all he more than likely would of confused everyone further.

But Sans was just glad that everyone knew now, so if he said anything wrong or showcased an action deemed different, they knew why and wouldn't lash out at him for it. Hopefully, the injured male thought as he nodded back at his first ever friend before turning back to Toriel as she stood up from the couch and announced that she was going to prepare dinner.

No one made a move to join her in the kitchen as they all turned back to Sans and made the short male smile a little wider in an attempt to mask his nerves at the attention. Undyne was the first to speak, which unfortunately triggered a rather loud argument between herself and the only other officer in the house. "So, you wanna wrestle little man?"

\------------------------------------------------------------------

It didn't take much effort on Sans' part to leave the living room without anyone noticing his movement, everyone was far too immersed in the officers who were currently locked in one another's arms as they attempted to pin the other onto the ground. Sans wasn't really a fan of violence he discovered as he watched the two brawl, yet everyone else seemed rather calm about such a thing happening so suddenly. Which is why the newly acquainted male didn't bother to stop them both as he snuck into the kitchen and smiled up at Toriel, who was elbow deep in a bowl of something Sans couldn't see.

"Oh, hello dear. Was it getting a little too loud for you?" The kind lady asked with a smile as she continued to mix the unseen items in the bowl together with her hands.

"just a bit." The shorter responded as he looked around the kitchen, taking in his surroundings before slowly and meekly walking up to the tall woman. "what... whatcha cookin?"

"Burgers! I thought it was a nice day and Asgore wished to fire up the grill outside." She explained with a smile as she then began taking small amounts of the light pink and seasoned covered meat from the bowl and slowly began forming them into small plate shapes before setting the uncooked patties onto a wooden board that was also adorned with an onslaught of buns on one half of it's surface. "Have you ever had burgers before?"

"naw. they sound good though." He responded as he shyly stood up on his tip toes and watched the woman work. "do you always cook?"

"I do. I enjoy it however, and I fear that if I didn't I would have far too much... Thyme on my hands." Much to the males surprise, Toriel broke out into a fit of laughter as she gestured to one of the small bottles of herbs, making a blue orb quickly dart at the glass container and make a choked noise of amusement upon seeing the word 'Thyme' placed on the bottle.

"... that was pretty punny." Sans responded, prompting the woman to laugh even harder as the shorter smiled widely at the shockingly positive reaction.

Back in his old home, he was granted access to a small array of books and novels. One of which was titled '101 Puns for Dummies' and Sans enjoyed every second that he had spent reading that hardcover book, but the joy didn't last long as his dad hated the jokes and got rid of the book as soon as Sans vocalized one. He hadn't said one since, but couldn't help it as the taller spoke one of her own.

Toriel noticed how the pun was spoken with hesitation and, dare she say, a trickle of fear. But she didn't comment on it in favor of not wanting to know why such a light hearted pun could be fear inducing to speak out loud. Instead, she winked down at the young male and opened her mouth once more.

"That was rather Sansational, my dear." She then watched with a wide smile as Sans brought a hand up to his mouth and covered his teeth in an attempt to muffle his laughter.

"heh heh." The two then went into a comfortable silence as the mother finished forming the entire bowls worth of meat before setting the now dirty item into the sink before washing her hands and turning back to the shorter, who was still watching her work with a lazily opened orb.

"Would you like to help me? I'm sure Asgore won't mind if we start without him," Toriel started as she grabbed the board, smiling as the shorter quickly nodded at the prospect of being useful before gesturing at a small rack that had a red, yellow, and green bottle placed inside it as well as several containers that were stacked on one another, each filled with an already diced or sliced topping for dinner. "Would you mind grabbing those please?"

"can do." Sans responded before grabbing the top of the rack with one hand before hugging the containers close to his chest with the other, not wishing to drop anything as the two then walked out the back door and headed towards a black and moderately sized item that the shorter wasn't at all familiar with. "what's that?"

"The grill!" Toriel responded cheerily at the prospect of teaching this poorly treated male something as she set the patties onto the equipment's side before opening up the grills bottom and turning a nozzle before standing back up and opening it's lid, smiling slyly as she lit one of the matches that stayed under the closed lid and watched with a giggle as she threw the fire onto the grill and brought the item to life, Sans gasping in shock as he took a step back in fear at the sudden flames. "It's alright, dear! It's supposed to do that."

"o-oh. neat." Sans responded after a beat as he too set his items down before looking at the grill with a wide orb, watching as the flames under the thin metal bars danced around, causing a plume of greyish smoke to rise from it's surface and invade the otherwise pristine air around the two. His blue eye picked up on all of this with interest as Toriel made a noise of surprise before she turned to the shorter and smiled.

"Sorry dear, I forgot to grab a spatula. I'll be right back." And with that the taller of the two left, retreating back into the house and leaving Sans on his own as he turned back to the grill and sniffed at the now gritty scented air that erupted from the oddly shaped items interior.

It was fascinating to watch the never before scene play out before him, but the more curious part of the shorter brain kicked in as he watched the grill burn away what little debris was left on it's grate. Which is why he slowly raised a hand after removing his thin yellow glove, clasping the material in his other hand before moving his right limb up and inching it towards the equipment.

Warmth. Was the only word circulating through the white haired males mind as he drew closer and closer to the flames until his palm finally landed on the scorching metal bars and a scream of both surprise and pain burst through his throat.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Papyrus mumbled out something uncohesive as Undyne finally let him go and allowed the blonde to fix his now ruffled locks, wincing as the gel in his hair had formed his strands around the woman's fist.

He ignored it however in favor of turning his attention back to Sans, only to back peddled upon seeing the shorter was nowhere to be found. The officer knew not to panic as the house was filled with those he trusted and Sans was smart enough to know not to wonder off without at least warning someone, but he couldn't help his heart from racing as he looked around frantically. "WHERE'S SANS?"

"Huh?" Undyne piped up as she too looked around before shrugging as she noticed the man in question was gone. "Maybe he's with Toriel?"

"I'LL CHECK." Papyrus didn't wait further as he ran into the empty kitchen, biting his lip as he made a motion to run outside, only to stop as Toriel herself walked through the door, smiling to the slightly shorter teenager as he frantically asked if she knew where Sans was.

"Oh, don't worry dear. He's in the yard, by the grill." She responded gently, and right before Papyrus had the chance to let out a sigh of relief a deep yet piercing scream filled the air and caused everyone in the house to freeze in terror for a beat before everyone in the living room and kitchen ran towards the source.

"SANS!" The male officer yelled in panic as he saw the shorter curled into himself on the ground, hands hidden from view, but one of his newly purchased gloves lay on the grass next to the quivering male. "ARE YOU ALRIGHT?!"

"mhm." Was the simple muttered response as Sans finally peeled his head out of his knees and shakily smiled up at the crowd around his form, a ping of guilt hitting the bandage covered characters heart as Papyrus got onto a knee and looked down at him in concern. "was dumb again..."

"YOU ARE NOT DUMB! BUT WHAT HAPPENED?" The taller asked a little softer upon seeing Sans was still hiding his hands from his view. The officer wasn't sure why the shorter was hiding an obvious injury, but didn't care as his need to know what happened overpowered the thought. "PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR HANDS."

"... naw. m'good." A smile was spread a little further in reassurance before Papyrus sighed and mentally apologized to the shorter before reaching out and grabbing both of the males wrists as gently as possible, but still with enough force to peel the appendages off Sans' chest and look at both the ungloved and gloved hand with wide eyes before swearing a loud and turning back to Alphys.

"DOCTOR ALPHYS, PLEASE GO GRAB THE MEDICAL KIT! UNDYNE I NEED ICE!" He barked out in panic, and the two women thankfully didn't hesitate as they ran back into the house to retrieve the requested items. "WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"i... i wanted to know what it felt like..." The words were nothing more than a whisper as Sans looked down and hid his eye behind a curtain of hair, smile still firm in place as he simply braced his body, tightening his muscles without looking at the probably anger covered features on Papyrus' face. "m'sorry... i... i'm sorry."

"IT'S OK, IT'S OK..." Papyrus responded, and much to the shorter's surprise, pulled him in for a hug. The officer was mindful of the injured males wounds as he rubbed his sweater covered back and made small soothing noises as he waited for the two girls to return.

Once they ran back into the yard and ran towards the two on the ground who were ignoring both the looks of concern from those circled around them as well as the look of pure guilt that was lacing Toriels features. "THANK YOU."

The three then wasted no time in addressing the confused males wound as he simply sat in silence, letting them do whatever they pleased and not voicing any complaints even as the ice on his skin made him want to cry in agony. It didn't last for long however before Alphys opened a large white box and pulled out a bottle of something that she sprayed onto the males open palm, making Sans sigh gently at the soothing feeling before she gently wrapped a white bandage around his hand.

'heh' Sans thought mentally as he wiggled his fingers from under the thin layer of material. He was going to be more bandage than person soon.

"T-Try not to m-move your hand t-too much for awhile." Alphys explained as she put her tools back into the box and closed it shut. "I'll r-redress it w-when I d-do your other b-bandages later."

"..." Sans didn't respond as he took his hand back and gently wiggled his fingers once again, eye locked onto the limbs motions before turning back to the crowd around him and chuckling slightly in nerves. Still however, he couldn't think of anything to say as the three closest to him gave his form another once over to verify that the marks on his hand was his only new wound before they all stood up, Papyrus reaching down with an outstretched hand to help Sans up, who accepted the hand with his own gloved appendage.

"I'M GLAD YOU'RE ALRIGHT... BUT!" The tall blonde paused for a moment as he pointed at Sans face, making the shorter blink up at his friend as he waited for what he assumed to be, insults. "FROM NOW ON, WE DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING THAT WE AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH. ALRIGHT?"

"...k." Was the simple response of agreement before the crowd around them slowly dispersed and re-entered the house, until no one but Sans, Papyrus, and Toriel stood in the yard.

The oldest of the three made a motion to speak but was halted in her tracks as Sans quickly made his way to her and looked up at the large woman with a tear filled orb. "m'sorry, miss toriel."

"... Dear, you have no reason to be sorry. I'm the one who needs to apologize to you! I should never of left you alone when I knew you weren't sure what the grill was." The mother held in her own tears as she got onto her knees and pulled the shorter in for a hug, rubbing her large hand over the males back as the other gently ran through his thick locks. "I hope you can forgive me."

"i..." Sans seemed surprised by the woman's actions as his own arms lay slack at his sides. "i don't understand..."

"What do you mean?" The woman asked while continuing her actions and keeping the even further injured character close to her chest. Papyrus stayed silent as he watched the two interact, he too wanting to know just what exactly was confusing the short man.

"i... did something wrong. why would you apologize? s'my fault i got hurt." He responded in genuine confusion, body still unmoving as the foreign feeling of the woman wrapped around his form in a way that didn't make Sans want to push her away. In fact, he thought with a hidden frown, it was almost comfortable in this ladies arms.

"SANS." The officer finally piped up, and prompted his mother to detach from the man in question, who quickly threw a smile back on as he stared up at the blonde. "IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT. WE ALL KNOW THAT YOU AREN'T ACQUAINTED WITH... MOST THINGS. AND YOU ARE NOT TO BLAME FOR BEING CURIOUS."

"but-"

"NOPE. I'M NOT HEARING IT!" Papyrus spoke, but a wide smile was still planted on his face as he slowly brought a hand up and sat it on the shorter's head. "WE ARE HERE FOR YOU SANS. EVERYONE MAKES MISTAKES, AND EVERYONE LEARNS FROM THEM. BUT WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO HELP YOU LEARN ABOUT THE WORLD."

"...thank you." The shorter mumbled before Papyrus laughed softly and gave him another brief hug before turning back to a now smiling Toriel.

"NOW, I SUPPOSE WE SHOULD GET DINNER STARTED, NO?"

\---------------------------------------------------------------------

Tbc.

Should I change the end couple to Sansby? Or keep it as Fontcest? :)


	5. Start of Something New

A pair of technicolored eyes closed softly in what could only be explained as suppressed anger as a newspaper was clenched tightly between two long hands, crumpling the sheets and destroying any chances of reading the written words in the future. But that was paid no mind as the sheets were tossed back onto the large wooden desk placed in front of the seated man and patted down with a pair of flat palms, as if the man was apologizing to the paper before he re-opened his eyes and attempted to read just what was displayed on the news mediums cover.

It was an entire pages worth of words explaining how that a mere twenty four hours ago, a man had rushed into the cities local hospital armed head to toe in more weapons than the media was allowed to disclose. He was caught however, almost immediately as he had chosen to commence in this act the second an officer of the law was in the waiting room.

"Idiot." The black haired male muttered a loud as he looked at the photo in the top right corner of the drunken looking man being carted away by two large cops.

There was no mistake that this man was the same one who he had hired the other day in a desperate attempt at getting his son back. Alas, the man who's name the parent didn't bother remembering had obviously chosen to forgo with their earlier discussed plan of attack, and deserved nothing more than to be caught right away. The tall man ran a thin appendage through his locks as he simply picked the sheets back up and tossed them into the recycling receptacle under his desk before leaning against his elbows with his face resting in his palms.

Honestly, he thought to himself with a frown, how hard was it to simply go into a hospital and retrieve a man with no supervision. His love was his only treasure, and as a result, he himself was the only one who knew of the shorter adults existence. The twenty year old had no friends, and no family besides himself to speak of.

So why did the idiot who was now a highlight in today's local news do something so ridiculous. The man shook his head, hair staying in place with the amount of gel in the thin strands as he attempted to cleanse his mind of such thoughts. Thinking on the now jailed mans mistake was not something that would help him in the future. Now he knew that he could no longer trust others in getting his child back, though.

It was all on him now, he mused with a small hum before blinking at the door at the other side of the room, where a series of knocks were now sounding from. "Enter."

"Doctor Gaster? Sorry to bother you," A young man who the elder wasn't too familiar with entered the large office and closed the door behind him. "I just wanted to let you know that Doctor Alphys had gotten myself to take her shift for the day. She told me to report straight to you?"

"Huh..." The taller hummed for a moment as he gently clasped his hands together and set them onto the desk top, eyes locking onto the obviously nervous males form while doing so. "It's rather odd for her to do such a thing. Are you aware of why she decided to take the day off?"

"I'm not sure. Sorry, Doctor." The younger of the two answered with a slight shake in his voice as Gaster simply smiled softly and shook his hand briefly. It was a mask as to not upset the shorter, and hid the fact that he was inwardly angry at the fact that someone who was clearly not as educated as his assistant was taking her place.

"No matter. I just hope you are well acquainted with her field?" When the unnamed character simply nodded in confirmation, the other continued to speak. "Good. She was currently working on a prototype for a fully automated A.I system, but I am sure she wouldn't like anyone meddling with that. How comfortable are you with filing paper work?"

"Um, that sounds alright." Gaster nodded, ignoring the others disinterested tone as he simply reached into one of his desks drawers and pulled out a large file.

"This is simply the reports of the last week. I need you to take them to the filing room and put them each in the correct place. Once done, you may leave for the day." The young man seemed a little more elated at the prospect of going home early as he took the sheets and nodded in understanding to his boss before turning on his heel and leaving the room curtly.

Once gone, the raven haired scientist wasted no time in getting back onto his previous train of thought as he leaned back into his leather seat with a sigh. First things first, he planned in his mind as he pulled out his cellphone and dialed in the number for the hospital in which Gaster knew his son was kept, the man needed to know which room his love was being kept in. Once that information was known, he would waste no time in simply going in after hours with his connections, and take his property back without anyone being the wiser.

It was simple really, he thought with a sly smile as the phone in his palm began ringing, and he honestly should of done so from the start. It would of been far easier if the imprisoned man had done what was needed and brought his son to the agreed meeting place, as it would of directed no eyes at the scientists own person, but he supposed that it was his fault for thinking he could trust a previous hit-man with an alcohol dependency.

Live and learn, he mused as he waited for the medial facility to pick up, no point in dwelling on it further. He had a son to get back, after all.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

A blue eye squinted as a yawn pierced through his mouth, prompting the small character to smack his lips in an attempt to hydrate his dry mouth as he rolled onto his back and rubbed at his eyes, only to wince in pain as the second his hand landed on the open socket it caused a wave of pain to roll around in his skull.

'oh. right' Sans thought to himself as he recalled that he no longer had both of his eyes. It wasn't exactly an issue however, as he could still see with the other, but he still wished that he hadn't made his daddy as angry as he did to result in such a painful punishment. That thought was wrong, he knew that but it was hard to not dwell on such things. All he had to do was listen, and he couldn't even do that.

Maybe it was because he knew from the beginning that his fathers actions weren't right. Maybe it was because his brain wasn't allowing the twenty year old to submit fully to the parent as he was aware that it would only result in the elder having full control over his person. But Sans knew that such things weren't accurate.

Because he knew that he was nothing more than a prisoner now, and knew that he wasn't smart enough to realize such a thing in the past. It would of been impossible with what limited awareness and education he actually had.

"SANS?" The male was brought out of his musings as a muffled voice sounded from the other side of his bedroom door. His bedroom, the short male thought with a smile as he looked around the interior once more. It was a much brighter living space than he had ever been accustomed too, and he absolutely loved it. Regardless of the guilt he felt at having heard that Asgore gave up his study for this room. Sans was assured by both the man himself and his other living mates that it wasn't an issue in the slightest, but the injured male wasn't buying it. But such thoughts were shaken free from his mind as he threw off his thick blue comforter and yawned once again as he walked to the door.

"hello?" The shorter asked as he finally opened the wood and looked up at Papyrus, who looked far to enthusiastic for the morning.

"GOOD MORNING, SANS!" The officer greeted with a wide smile, prompting the shorter's eye to soften at the sight.

Papyrus really was the best, he mused to himself as he leaned against the doors frame and yawned for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. "mornin'. you look good."

"OH, WHY THANK YOU! THIS IS MY WORK UNIFORM." The blonde explained as he watched the shorter's eye roam over his attire. Papyrus gave the other a moment to take the entirety of his clothing in before speaking once again. He didn't wish to interrupt the others curiosity after all. "WHICH MEANS THAT I NEED TO HEAD OUT IN A MOMENT. BUT REST ASSURED, YOU WON'T BE LEFT ALONE!"

Sans simply nodded along as he crossed his arms above his chest and looked up at the other with a lazily opened orb. He was aware of the fact that everyone in the home had things to do each day that required them leaving the house, and Sans had been alright with the fact of being left alone. He was used to it after all, but Papyrus was very against the idea. He had agreed that at least for a month, at least one person would be in the house with Sans at all times.

"ALPHYS AGREED TO TAKE THE DAY OFF AND WILL BE OVER LATER, AS SHE IS SMART AND ABLE TO ASSIST YOU IF YOU NEED IT IN REGARDS TO YOUR BANDAGES AND SUCH. IT IS ALSO SUNDAY SO CHARA, ASRIEL, AND FRISK ARE HOME AS THEY HAVE NO SCHOOL." Papyrus explained softly as other noises erupted from downstairs. "TORIEL IS MAKING BREAKFAST NOW THOUGH, SO YOU SHOULD COME DOWN AND EAT."

"k." Sans responded shortly as he exited the room and followed close behind the taller, who led him straight into the kitchen before leaning down and giving the shorter a hug.

"ALRIGHT, I'M OFF! HAVE A GOOD DAY EVERYONE, AND BE SURE TO EAT LOTS SANS!" And with that the officer left the home swiftly, leaving Sans alone with everyone in the kitchen who was currently crowded around the same table they had eaten burgers at the night before with only Toriel standing by yet another thing that Sans wasn't familiar with. But he could safely assume that it produced the same amount of heat as the grill did, if the popping food on it's surface was any indication.

His attention was diverted from the tool however as a pair of frantically moving arms caught his attention and made his eye look at the youngest child in the home. They quickly gestured for the taller to sit next to them, which he did without hesitation, which then landed him in between both Frisk and Asgore, yet across from Chara and Asriel. "hey kid."

 _Good morning, Sans! Did you have a good sleep?_ The child asked with a smile, they too seemed far too alert for it being only 7 in the morning. Guess this house was simply used to waking up at this hour, Sans thought as he ruffled his hair with yet another yawn before answering.

"it was ok. how was yours? have any dreams?" Sans asked with his words in favor of not signing, as his arms felt as though they were filled with cement as he rested them on the table before him. Hell, he thought as he kept his gaze locked on the younger, he was having a hard time keeping his eye open.

 _I did! I went to the moon._ They signed back in joy as Sans laughed softly at the kids enthusiasm.

"oh nice. m'feeling like a star myself." The older admitted as those around him went into a silence that could only be chalked up to confusion at the statement. Which fueled a wider smile to form on the injured males face as he finished his thought. "spaced out."

The results of the pun were rather fifty fifty down the board with Frisk, Toriel, and Asgore barking out laughter. While both Chara and Asriel simply groaned at the joke. It made Sans feel as though he shouldn't of spoken at all as it had clearly upset the two, but as Frisk hugged his arm in joy, he couldn't help but let out a small chuckle himself. Even one persons laughter was worth it, he thought to himself.

"That was rather good." Toriel piped in as she set a cup of black liquid in front of the sleepy male, making him cock an eyebrow up in confusion at the tar looking substance. "Have you had coffee before?"

"nope. is it good?" He asked in turn as he gently took the white mug into his glove free hands and moaned softly at the warmth that erupted from the ceramic container as a result. He had decided to keep the gloved in his room in fear of ruining the items, as he much preferred keeping them as a keepsake at this point rather than a constant attire choice. Not that he didn't love them, he just didn't want to take the risk of tearing the fabric and risk getting scolded. "smells..."

Familiar. Sans thought with a squinted eye as he looked down at the liquid. He didn't finish his words however, and thankfully no one commented on it as the mother of the home gestured towards a small white pitcher of cream and a bowl of white cubes. "It may be a tad strong, so both sugar and cream tend to balance out the flavor."

"thank you, miss toriel." Sans responded with a smile as he took a sip of the beverage before licking his teeth at the bitter taste and pulling the two other offered items close to his form. He could tell that all eyes were on him as he took a small sip of the cream before popping a sugar cube into his mouth, wincing at the odd taste and prompting those around him to laugh once again at the apparently odd action.

"Oh no honey, you add those into the coffee." The lady explained through her giggles and made Sans make a noise of acknowledgement before trying to add just a few sugar cubes to his coffee before tasting it once again after the sweet item had dissolved. This time he let out a hum of joy as the sugar made the black liquid taste perfect against his taste buds, prompting him to frown however as he realized he now had to add the cream and ruin it's current taste.

Maybe they wouldn't notice if he didn't add it, he thought before shaking away the thought. It would of been hard not to notice that literally everyone was watching him try this new yet strangely familiar drink, and he had no choice but to pick up the cream and make a motion to add it to his drink. He was stopped however as the only person who hadn't formally introduced themselves to the male spoke loudly. "You know you don't HAVE to add cream right?"

Their tone was harsh as they noticed the obvious sadness that had overtaken the older's features as he picked up the small pitcher, making him blink in surprise at them before looking back down at the items before him. "you sure?"

"Yes. I am sure that you don't have to add it. Why the hell would you?" Chara asked before sipping on their chocolate milk which prompted his parents to say his name in both unison and anger.

"i'm... not sure." Sans responded instead before looking back up at the teenager across from him with a softened blue orb as he smiled softly at the others words having saved him from ruining his drink. "thanks."

"Wha-" The brunette blinked in surprise before simply looking down as a hue of red covered their already red circled cheeks and spread across their nose. "Shut up."

"k." Was the simple response as Sans could tell that the other didn't hold any malicious intent in their words. They seemed almost embarrassed in his eyes, which for some reason pulled yet another laugh out of everyone else in the room as Sans simply continued to sip on his coffee.

This coffee was literally something on the tip of the adults tongue, but he couldn't wrap his head around just where he had tasted it before. The male simply let the liquid sit in his mouth for a moment as he attempted to remember how he knew the flavor, only for his eye to widen suddenly in shock and him to almost choke on his mouthful of liquid at the realization that he had both tasted and smelled this beverage many times before.

Through his daddy's lips and breath. He thought as he kept his mental battle silent, not wishing to alert anyone as he simply sat the mug down before turning his attention up at Asgore, wanting more than anything to get his mind off of the coffee. "hey, mister asgore?"

"Oh son, just Asgore is alright." The man replied softly as he looked down at the shorter, setting down the newspaper in favor of focusing entirely on the other man. "But what is on your mind?"

"i was just wonderin, where do you go? i mean, where do you work?" The shorter stumbled for a moment, but was more happy than sad at the action upon realizing that he had vocalized what he wished too instead of confusing the large man.

"I'm the Mayor of this little town." Asgore explained with a smile before continuing as he noticed the look of confusion on the shorter's features. "I.. Well, I basically help run the town. I make sure everyone's happy and implement rules that make society easier to live in."

"oh. like a king?" Sans asked in turn and in wonderment, making the taller blush and wave his hands frantically at the question.

"No, no. I mean, we do have similar duties, but very few locations actually have a king ruling over them. More Mayors, Presidents, and such." The man attempted to voice his thoughts without sounding too confusing as Sans hummed through his nose and looked down at the table with a small nod. The elder couldn't tell if he understood completely however, as the younger's face was rather hard to read what with him constantly smiling.

"hm... but i thought there was one king? for the world?"

"Where did you get that idea?" Asgore, even though the question was asked kindly, still immediately regretted it upon remembering Papyrus' words the day prior. Thankfully, Sans didn't seem bothered as he answered the taller's question.

"a book." That was a little surprising, but better than the elder expected as Toriel finally finished prepping for breakfast and began setting the table full of foods of all different shapes and sizes.

"What was this book called?" Asgore asked as he nodded a thanks to his wife.

"called...?" Sans asked, as he took his attention off of the amazing looking pancakes and back up at Asgore.

"...Um, I suppose I should ask what the title was? What was written on the books cover?" He asked once again, only worded differently as he himself had no idea how to react to the confusion on the simple inquiry. Everyone else seemed to be watching the conversation take place as well as they all began digging into the meal. Toriel however took a moment to smile at Sans and nod at the food, which then made the shorter quickly fill his plate with pancakes and bacon.

"not sure." He said before biting into a large forkful of the syrup covered food and shrugging his shoulders. "all the books i had just had black covers. didn't know they had names."

"Oh... Well, we have plenty of books here as well if you enjoy reading!" Asgore finished with a wide smile, confusion overtaking his own mind at hearing such an odd thing come from the shorter's mouth. There was no books that he knew of that simply had blank covers, which meant that someone was deliberately making it so the young man couldn't know the titles. It was odd. And pointless, but Asgore wasn't about to comment on the actions of someone as sadistic as the one who had kept this poor male prisoner his whole life.

"really? that's nice." Was all Sans said in response, but joy was still present in his tone as he continued eating, only stopping to take sips from his offered orange juice in favor of not touching the coffee again. He would rather take a hit or a scolding than drink another drop of that memory inducing beverage. Even though a small part of the mans mind was trying to convince him that no one in this room would ever strike him for not finishing the now cold beverage.

"Oh, mom?" Asriel asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that had filled the room as everyone ate.

"Yes, honey?" Toriel asked in turn as she added a dollop of honey to her tea, eyes looking warmly at her son as he nervously smiled in turn.

"So, Doggo is hosting this-"

"No." Chara interrupted in anger before her sibling could finish his statement, making the other high schooler cross his arms in anger before looking up at his mother.

"It's not a big party! It's a goodbye event for a student who's moving away this summer." The beardless version of Asgore spoke almost desperately as Toriel made a noise of contemplation.

"I don't know. Who all is going?" She asked softly, disdain leaking from her tone at the very idea of her own child attending a typical high school party. Not that she was foreign to such events herself, what with her being a teenager at one point, but she wasn't about to tell her kids such a thing. Especially since she was the one deemed 'Party Animal' in those times.

"Even just Doggo is a shit show." Chara chimed in once more, growling however as his brother elbowed him in the side in an attempt to silence the badmouthed sibling.

"Language, Chara." Asgore spoke softly without looking up from the newspaper that he had resumed reading after his short conversation with Sans, who was now darting his head back and forth at whoever was speaking with his mouth constantly full of food.

"I do have to agree with you though." The red orbed woman spoke as she buttered a biscuit before handing it over to Sans with a smile, who accepted the item with a nod of thanks before shoving that into his mouth as well. "If I recall correctly, Doggo was charged last month for having drugs on his person, was he not?"

"Well, ya. But it's not like I hang out with him. He invites everyone in the school, and everyone stays with their own friend circles through the night." The teenager attempted to explain as his mother glared over at him.

"I thought you said it wasn't a big party?"

"I..."

"Oh shit, busted." The oldest brunette joked before getting out of range of his siblings fist, walking over to the sink to dispose of the dirtied dishes before turning on his heel and exiting the room without another word. Sans watched this as well as he swallowed his last bite before setting his cutlery onto the plate and continuing to observe the others conversation.

"C'mon, mom! I won't drink or anything. I'll be made fun of until I die if I don't go!" Toriel sighed as she sipped on her tea, eyes looking over at her husband but then rolling in their sockets upon noticing that the man wasn't paying attention. "Please!"

"Hmm... What do you think, Sans?" Toriel asked suddenly, making the short male blink in alarm at being summoned as he grabbed the remainder of his orange juice.

"um... i'm not sure what a party is... sorry." The male responded softly before looking down and sipping his juice, not about to voice his opinion when he honestly had no clue as to what was occurring at the moment.

"Oh, I'm sorry hun... I'll explain later, but for now, Asriel, I'll give you the OK. If-" She paused as she saw her child raise his arms in the air to celebrate his victory. "You are home by midnight."

"Alright, alright. Thanks, mom!" The younger responded with a wide smile before he too put his empty plate into the sink before skipping into the living room before everyone in the kitchen heard the sounds of footsteps on the oaken staircase leading to everyone's bedrooms.

Sans then turned his attention back to Frisk as he realized that conversation was over, cocking an eyebrow in confusion and in hopes that the child knew what was going on. Sadly, they simply shook their head at the others gaze, a frown lacing the brunettes features before they smiled and patted the slightly taller's arm. He saw the touch instead of feeling it as the sweater he had borrowed from Papyrus the night before was incredibly thick.

The four remaining in the kitchen then finished up their meals in silence before Asgore picked up his briefcase and bid everyone farewell, and Toriel made a motion to start the dishes. "i can do that, miss toriel. i've cleaned plates before."

"No, no. It's quite alright dear! I have a bit before I have to leave myself." The woman responded in fear of the shorter hurting himself on any of the sharper dishes, only to frown as she noticed the now downcast look on her new roommates features. "How about I wash and you dry?"

Sans' features lit up slightly at that as he nodded and followed the woman to the sink, accepting a dry rag and listening intently as Toriel showed him where to put the dishes once dry. It was a large white rack, but the shorter knew that he was incapable of putting them into the cupboards due to his height, so he simply did as he was told until all of the dishes were completed and both of the remaining characters in the kitchen re-entered the living room.

"Where are you off too? You don't have work today do you?" Chara asked lazily as they fiddled with an oddly shaped item in their hands, eyes locked onto the large black box attached to the wall and making Sans gasp in shock upon seeing the previously dark item lit up with pictures.

"woah..." Sans zoned out on the other twos new conversation as he walked towards the foreign object and gently put his hand on the television, only to jump and back away as a gunshot rang through the air and the screen was now decorated in red with the words 'GAME OVER' etched on it in black letters.

"God damn it, you made me die!" The teenager shouted in anger as Sans quickly turned on his heel to look at the now angry male in shock.

"m'sorry... but you aren't dead?" He asked more so than stated as Chara stared at him for a moment before sighing and patting the seat to his right.

"Come here, dumbass." They muttered out and the other immediately did as instructed, the shorter noticing briefly that Toriel had left during his time enraptured with the large box. "First off, that's a television. TV for short, it plays pictures of either shows or movies or video games. Which is what I'm playing right now."

Sans nodded along, although he was still just as confused. "playing?"

"Ya. This ones called 'Left 4 Dead' and it's mainly just killing zombies. Most games don't really have a purpose, it's just to pass the time." They explained a little better as Sans made a noise of confirmation.

"like books?"

"I guess. These are more interactive and images though. Watch," They instructed as they pressed a button on the item in their hands which them prompted the television to make a loud noise and show a gun pointed out at a table covered in red medical boxes and ammo shells. "I control my guy with this, a remote."

"oh... does he like it?" The taller barked out a laugh before blushing and turning their head away briefly.

"He's not real." They answered. "It's just a game."

"huh... so who are they?" He asked upon noticing that three other characters were helping Chara kill all the bloody and weird looking people on screen.

"Well the ugly fuckers are zombies. They're the undead and will eat us unless we kill them first, which is also fake." They quickly defended upon noticing a hint of fear filling the others eye. "And the three normal looking dudes are my dumb teammates who suck ass at helping."

Sans snickered at the statement as he leaned back in his seat.

"I could be playing with real people, but I don't want to play with kids and Asriel's probably doing his makeup for tonight." They laughed at that, which prompted the shorter to laugh himself even though he wasn't sure where the joke in that statement was. "...You wanna play?"

They pressed yet another button on the remote and made the entire world on screen pause as they looked over at Sans, who blinked up at the other before sighing gently and playing with the hem of his borrowed attire. "i'd just slow you down. m'not sure how to play."

"Oh shut it, I'll teach you." They said before standing up and walking to the television, where he opened the drawers under the box and pulling out an identical yet different colored remote to the one he was still holding. The younger then brought the controller over to Sans and handed him the black tool before exiting the game and going into it's start menu. "So to start, you know which fingers which, right?"

\----------------------------------------------------------

Frisk giggled without a sound from their perch on the staircase, eyes locked on the two planted on the sofa as a notebook and pencil case were held close to their chest. The young child never would of guessed that their older brother would of bonded with Sans, but wasn't about to complain for even a second as they watched Chara laugh as the other tried to make his character pick up a simply decorative box of food on the ground.

"what if my dude gets hungry?" The shorter, yet older man asked as they resumed following the character on the other half of the screen.

"Then he'll starve." The other joked in turn, making Sans snort. Frisk watched all of this with a smile, even as a small twinge of jealously pulled at their heart as they had wanted to have Sans all to themself that day.

But they couldn't be selfish, Frisk thought with a shake of their head before quietly entering the living room and sitting at the end of the long coffee table, not seen by the two on the sofa as their attention was locked solely on the television. Either way, they had homework to do and the injured man seemed happy at the moment.

Which Frisk was thankful for as they started their work while still focusing on the other two words. This was good for Chara as well. The child's brother was a lone wolf by all means, not making any friends in any school they had ever attended due to their poor attitude and complete disregard for manners, which is why they weren't bothered with the party going on tonight. So Frisk was thankful that they seemed to enjoy the twenty year old's company, even though the older probably would never admit to such a thing.

Sans was family now. He belonged here, and no one on Earth was going to take him away from them. That Frisk promised as they listened to the two laugh about something the child couldn't see from their perch on the floor, both trying their hardest to not be too loud while doing so. Yes, the youngest in the room thought with a smile, this was Sans' home. 

\------------------------------------------------------------

Tbc.

So the votes so far are leaning towards Sansby, but I've got a bit to go before even thinking about getting into the romance bit of the story!~

Sorry though for the short chapter by the way, this is more of a transition before shit hits the fan haha So enjoy the cuteness while ya can everyone!


	6. Learning is Never Fun

Sans sighed harshly threw his nose as his character on screen fell onto the ground and started shouting for help as a hoard of zombies swarmed his figure and began attacking his prone figure as Chara swore aloud as the same thing happened to them. "Fuck!"

"should we turn the difficulty down?" The shorter asked as they spawned back into the games starting point for the fourth time in the past twenty minutes.

"No!" The younger shouted out in anger as they re-supplied their character as Sans chuckled and did the same. This was apparently the final stage of the map and Sans was very acquainted with the consoles controls. Too acquainted, according to Chara upon seeing the older's score at the end which was far higher than their own, which had then led to the teenager upping the difficulty of their next map.

It was going well until the student remembered that the final map had two of the games main bosses, who on this level of hardness was next to impossible to beat. But the two were determined to finish this stage without 'pussing out' as the brunette said, before taking a break and simply watching a movie. Chara even said that he would let Sans pick whatever film the shorter wanted, which made him pretty excited as they exited the safe room and got swarmed once again by the un-dead.

"This is bull shit! Ugh, suck me off!" Sans brought a hand up to cover his mouth in attempt to silence his laughter as the lean male to his left threw his controller onto the floor in rage upon dying once again.

"s'ok. we got further than last time." The taller glared over at Sans, who simply shrugged his shoulders in a joking manner as Chara finally let out a long breath and leaned back in their seat.

"Fuck it. Let's pick a movie," They started as they picked the remote back up and exited the game, only to open something titled 'Netflix' before gesturing to Sans to pick something out.

"woah. there's uh... a lot of choices." Sans mumbled as he scrolled over the copious amounts of titles. Chara remained silent at his side as he rubbed his eyes and got up from the sofa.

"I'm gonna grab us some soda. Brb." The oldest in the room didn't have time to ask what that abbreviation meant before the teenager left his view and made the living room occupied by only two characters, one of which hadn't been noticed until now.

"oh, hey kid." Frisk smiled up at Sans, directing their orbs off of the partially filled notebook at the attention. "whatchu doin'?"

-Just some homework.- They signed. -For school-

"huh. is it fun?"

-Nope- Frisk chuckled airily as the older's smile was pulled upwards in his own version of a frown.

"then why are you doin' it?" He asked in confusion, which prompted the shorter to shrug their shoulders.

-Not sure. But we have to-

"well that's dumb. stop it." Sans spoke with a grin as he leaned over and took the notebook away, making the other blink in shock as the other tossed the book behind the couch lazily. "c'mon. let's pick a movie."

Frisk was still for a moment before smiling widely and jumping onto the couch, planting themself onto the spot to Sans' right and leaning into the taller's arm as they then directed their attention towards the television as the white haired male resumed his search. He really was like an older brother, they mused as Sans halted his actions once he ventured into the apps horror section. "huh... this looks interestin'."

Brown orbs blinked in confusion at the title that caught the taller's interest, mouth curling into a frown as they looked back up at the constantly smiling male to get his attention. - This looks pretty scary.-

"scary? how so?" Sans asked in turn as he looked back at the movies thumbnail, where a very disfigured mans face was displayed with the words 'HALLOWEEN' written under the face. The adult realized quickly that this man was simply wearing a mask, but didn't bother listening to more of the child's complaints as he pressed the play button and winked down at his friend. Frisk made a motion to sign once more, but stopped with a sigh before leaning back into Sans' side and crossing their arms.

They had already seen this movie after all since Chara loved horror flicks and unfortunately always made the younger sibling watch the disturbing movies with him. Well, he never forced the child to view the films, but Frisk was never one to turn down a challenge. Even if those challenges later fueled nightmares in the young genderless child that then resulted in them crawling into their parents bed for a good week.

Sans was... Different though, the child thought to themselves as they heard Chara near the living room. He wasn't accustomed to a lot of things that Frisk thought were odd for him to not know, which is why they were a little worried about his choice of film as his reaction was impossible to predict.

"I'm back." Chara muttered with his arms filled with chips, soda and a large pack of gummies. "Oh shit, I love this one."

"you've seen it?" The eldest in the room asked as he gladly accepted a can and bag of chips, his eye looking over the cylinder item before the tallest scoffed and grabbed the soda and cracked it open in one fluid motion before handing it back.

"Ya, it's... Really good." The student responded with a sly smile as they dispersed the rest of the snacks before walking to the wall and turning the light off.

Frisk glared at their brother with a frown, which the cherry cheeked male ignored as he sat on the couch as well, sandwiching Sans between the two siblings as the movies opening sequence ended and the film finally started. The usually quiet voice at the back of the youngest's mind was screaming that this was a terrible idea and the eldest would very much prefer a comedy, but the excitement lacing both his and Chara's faces made then relent as they simply relaxed into the males side and sighed in an attempt to brace themself for the upcoming scares.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

"oh stars..." A deep voice mumbled out softly in fear as the screen before the three characters was bathed in red. They were only about half way through the film, but Sans was already regretting his choice as he wrapped his arms around his middle and hugged his own form tightly.

The man was contemplating asking the two if they would mind if he turned the television off, but thought better of it as he noticed the almost bored expressions that the two wore. They had seen this movie before and seemed numb to it's disturbing contents, but Sans wasn't aware of that fact. His ability to read others was a lot better than he gave himself credit for, but his mind was simply assuming that the two siblings facial expressions were a result of such a film being normal.

A hand was clenched around a bandaged wrist and gripped the limb tightly from outside his borrowed sweater as his smile became more and more of a hassle to keep in place. Sans' blue orb followed the trail of blood that was now leaking out of a dismembered woman on the screen, mind racing a mile a minute in fear of this masked character breaking into their home and doing the same to the three on the couch as he had done to every character he had passed thus far.

Monsters were real. Sans thought to himself as his legs slowly curled into his chest, the soda in his other hand completely forgotten as he shook in place. Papyrus lied to him. This movie was proof of the fact that monsters existed and would hurt him if the opportunity presented itself.

"-ans!" The man placed in the middle of the two jumped as he directed his attention at Chara, who was frowning as they looked down at the older. "Jesus, you alright?"

"...ya... ya i uh..." Sans cursed himself mentally as his voice shook and he was unable to articulate any reassurance to the other.

"... Let's turn it off." The high schooler stated as they reached for the remote, prompting Sans to make a sharp noise of alarm. "What?"

"... shouldn't we see where he's going next? what if he comes here?" The man asked softly as Chara barked out a laugh, only for them to stop themself sharply upon noticing the look of fear and panic lacing the shorter's features. It was disconcerting how the male still smiled as he went through such emotional turmoil, but the taller paid it no mind as they exited the movie and gestured for Frisk to turn the lights on.

"Sans, that was just a movie." The teenager said as the eldest continued to shake, it seemed as though the shorter didn't understand just what a movie was and Chara made a motion to continue speaking in order to explain it, but was stopped as a knock erupted on the front door and directed all three characters attention towards it.

The tallest got up to answer it, only to simply unlock the door after looking through the peep hole upon noticing a short and blonde figure standing on the other side. The scientist took the hint as she quickly opened the door and smiled at the student. "H-Hey there. W-Where is Sans?"

"Huh? He's right-" Chara stopped himself as he turned on his heel and stared at the now empty couch with a cocked eyebrow before directing his attention at his younger sibling. "... Where did he go?"

Frisk simply shrugged in turn with a frown, not noticing the man move as Alphys entered the home and looked around the room. "I-Is he in h-his room?"

"There's no way. I only turned my back on him for a second!" The teenager spoke almost frantically as both confusion and panic overtook their form, eyes darting around as they ran into the kitchen and checked the room before peaking outside and re-entering the living room. "Sans?!"

Frisk joined their brother in the search as Alphys frowned upon realizing the twos strife. She had honestly just thought that the male was in the bathroom or something until the two started to panic, which prompted the woman to search as well.

Chara ran upstairs only to come back down a few minutes later with a barked scream of alarm. "I can't find him! Jesus Christ, Sans where are you?!" There was silence after the males scream, making the three even more frantic as they began tearing apart the house, ripping off the sofas cushions, searching every drawer the man could fit in, and even looking outside before the three collapsed in the living room in defeat.

"... Papyrus is going to kill me." The brunette mumbled out with wide eyes as he buried his now exhaust littered face into his hands, not speaking any further as the three simply waited for either an adult to get home and help, or Sans to finally come out of wherever he was hiding.

Sadly however, the last situation seemed very unlikely at the moment.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"YOU. DID. WHAT?!" Orange eyes were squinted in a glare as a tall figure loomed over three shorter ones, anger practically pooling out of the officers every pore as his figure shook through the sheer power he was using to clench his fists.

"D-Don't get m-mad!" Alphys attempted to reason with the male as she cowered under his gaze, the two much younger characters were rooted by her sides as they looked down at the ground. They too were shaking, but while Papyrus was vibrating in anger, the two students were doing so in fear at seeing their usually happy brother so malicious. "H-He probably i-isn't even far."

"YOU ALL HAD TO LOOK AFTER HIM FOR ONE SINGLE DAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU THREE! HE COULD BE HURT- WHY DID HE EVEN RUN AWAY?!" The blonde yelled as he ran a hand through his locks, ruffling the strands as he paced back and forth on the floor.

"That's my fault." Chara finally muttered out, eyes still downcast as he crossed his arms above his chest. "I let him pick a movie and he picked Halloween."

Papyrus was silent as the younger spoke, allowing him to continue as the taller listened intently on why exactly Sans was nowhere to be found. "It's a horror film. I thought it would be funny to see his reaction so I didn't say anything but halfway through it, he began to panic. He thought the movie was real and before I could tell him otherwise, Alphys knocked on the door and the second that it took me to answer it he was gone. We've checked everywhere but cant find him." The high schooler spoke in one long breath before panting and clasping a thin hand on his shirt, fear overcoming his very being as Papyrus was still quiet.

"... SO. LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT." The cop growled out finally, making the three wince at the tone before he inhaled harshly and continued. "YOU THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO WATCH A MAN WHO HAD BEEN TORTURED HIS ENTIRE LIFE GET SCARED OVER A HORROR FILM." The teenagers voice heightened an octave with every word he spoke before he rubbed his hands over his face and screamed into them, making the other three shake before the tallest inhaled sharply and gently let his breath out. "I'M SORRY. HAVE YOU CHECKED OUTSIDE?"

Frisk nodded at that as they wiped a trail of tears away, making the now off duty officer feel incredibly bad as he attempted to calm himself down. He would make it up to the three for making them so scared after he found Sans.

Because until then he would be unable to control his anger fueled outbursts.

"AND EVERY ROOM IN THE HOUSE?"

Another nod was seen from Frisk before Chara broke in. "Everywhere but the basement. But it's locked."

"HM." Papyrus mumbled before walking over to the key rack by the front door and grabbing the basement key, not hesitating any further as he walked into the kitchen and made a motion to unlock the oddly placed door only to blink in shock upon noticing the door was already unlocked. The teenager could feel the three others eyes locked onto his figure as he opened the door and turned the light on before walking down the rickety old steps, wincing as each step made a loud squeak of protest erupt from them as a result. "SANS...? ARE YOU DOWN HERE?"

"...no." Four loud sighs of relief now filled the air at the deep response, making Papyrus run down the rest of the steps to find where the sound erupted from.

"SANS, WHERE ARE YOU?" There was no response as Papyrus squinted his eyes in order to try and see better in the barely lit room. He frowned however when he heard the steps creak behind him, prompting him to turn on his heel and motion for the other three to not follow him.

It would be easier to get Sans to relax without a crowd of people surrounding them. Which is what the blonde would tell himself in favor of admitting that he was still cross with the three characters upstairs.

"PLEASE, SANS. YOU GAVE EVERYONE QUITE THE FRIGHT HIDING SO SUDDENLY. THEY'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU ALL DAY." Papyrus felt bad using guilt as a lure to get Sans to disclose his hiding spot, but could think of nothing else as he avoided the assortment of boxes and other useless trinkets that littered the damp floor. "IT'S RATHER COLD DOWN HERE... WOULDN'T YOU MUCH RATHER BE UPSTAIRS?"

"...i'm... m'sorry." Sans muttered, voice echoing around the room and making it impossible for the taller to pinpoint it's original location.

"DON'T BE! WE DON'T BLAME YOU FOR BEING SCARED, SANS. BUT IT'S OK. I'M HERE, AND WON'T LET ANYTHING HURT YOU." The blonde spoke softly before smiling gently as a head of white hair peaked out from behind a large box before a soft blue orb locked onto his own set. "THERE YOU ARE..."

Papyrus slowly made his way over to the shorter and continued to smile as he gently pulled the man out of the box before setting him back on his feet and looking over the disheveled males form for any signs of injuries. "ARE YOU OK?"

"...ya." Sans responded softly as he wrapped his hands together and looked down at his shoe less feet, eye hidden by a veil of locks as the embarrassment from hiding from everyone finally hit the shorter.

"HEY?" A wide pupil was directed up at the still uniform clad officer as the taller ran a gentle hand over Sans' hair, pushing the strands behind his ears and smiling at the blush that erupted on the shorter's features as a result. "I KNOW YOU'RE SCARED... AND THAT'S OK! EVERYONE HAS FEARS. BUT WHAT YOU SAW EARLIER ON THAT MOVIE WASN'T REAL. MOVIES ARE SIMPLY A FORM OF ART MEDIUM USED TO ENTERTAIN IT'S VIEWERS."

"... but... he hurt so many people. what if he hurts us?" The older asked softly as he wrapped his arms around his chest and shook, making the blonde hush the other softly as he wrapped his arms around the shorter's form and hugged him close to his own lean chest.

"SHHHH.. IT'S ALRIGHT. HE WON'T HURT YOU. HE ISN'T REAL, AND EVEN IF HE WAS I WOULD NEVER ALLOW ANY HARM TO EVER BEFALL YOU. I SWEAR ON MY LIFE THAT I WILL PROTECT YOU." Sans sniffed as he wrapped his own arms around the taller, burying his face into the cops shoulder and soaking the officers material with tears and snot. "NYEH HEH! EW!"

"heh. sorry."

"DON'T BE! I'M JUST GLAD YOU'RE ALRIGHT. YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW SCARED I WAS WHEN I HEARD YOU WERE LOST!" Papyrus spoke as he rubbed the others back gently, trying to relax the wide featured male enough to entice him to come back upstairs. "OH, BY THE WAY... HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE? THE DOOR IS ALWAYS LOCKED."

"oh. i uh, just used a metal thing i found in the bathroom." Sans explained in a bored sounding tone before pushing himself off the taller and wiping his eyes with his sleeves to rid his features of the salty liquid before going into his pocket and pulling out a silver bobby pin. "i'm sorry. i should of asked before takin it."

"NO, IT'S QUITE ALRIGHT. I'M HONESTLY SURPRISED THAT YOU KNOW HOW TO PICK A LOCK! NYEH HEH!" The younger joked softly as looked over the bobby pin, smiling to himself at yet another one of the shorter's hidden talents was brought into the light.

But at the same time, the thought produced a frown to form on the taller's features as he recalled a certain ailment of the shorter's past. If he knew how to unlock a door without a key then it was obvious that Sans had practiced such a task before hand, which made the officer believe that there was a reason as to why the shorter's old prison was locked with an electrical field. Which in turn, showed Papyrus that Sans had actually tried to escape his captor before.

But with punishments as severe as what Papyrus had seen thus far, he wondered how many times Sans had attempted to escape before giving up completely.

"can... can we go upstairs? it's creepy down here." Sans asked shyly as Papyrus smiled and nodded in agreement before standing up and gently wrapping his arm around the shorter's shoulders, leading him back towards the stairs and into the kitchen, where the three others in the home were still waiting. "sorry..."

"Don't apologize, dumb-ass." Chara said as he walked over to Sans and looked down at him. "I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't of let you watch that movie."

"no, i picked it. s'not your fault." Sans smiled up at Chara, electing the younger to blush as he looked back down and walked back into the living room without another word. The eldest was confused at the reaction, only to push the thoughts aside as he looked down at Frisk who was now hugging him around the middle, there tear stained face buried into the injured males borrowed shirt as Sans blinked in surprise at the sudden action. "woah, you good?"

The child sobbed as they simply hugged the taller even tighter, making Sans frown gently as he sat his hand on the shorter's locks and ruffled the kids hair until they looked up at him with wide and tear filled orbs. "hey, no more of that. cause then you're gonna get me going, and then papyrus is going to cry. which will then trigger alphys to tear up and then we'll have to swim out of here."

The child chuckled weakly at the attempt to cheer them up as they wiped away their tears before setting their face back onto the taller's chest and nodding into the fabric with a smile. The moment was touching, but Alphys couldn't stop herself from speaking up as she noticed that the injured males bandages were pooling out of his sleeve with hints of red covering the fabric. "S-Sans, I think it's time I-I switched your b-bandages."

"OH, RIGHT!" Papyrus spoke in shock, having forgotten about the males many injuries in the heat of the moment as he gently pushed the three back into the living room and picked Sans up around his middle before placing him onto the couch gently, smiling as Frisk immediately jumped onto the sofa and cuddled next to the male as Alphys walked back to the door to grab her backpack that was filled with medical bandages and salves.

The four then went into a comfortable silence as the scientist changed the males dressings before sitting onto the floor and sighing loudly at the stressful day that she had just went through. Quite frankly, she would of been more relaxed if she had chosen to go to work instead, she thought with a frown which soon dissolved into a smile upon seeing the three now cuddled onto the couch.

It was worth it though, she mused as she pulled out her phone in order to take a photo of the cute moment. She would put family before work any day of the week.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"you look cool." A deep voice chimed in over a roar of laughter as Asriel stood by the television, a frown covering his features as his siblings obviously didn't find his outfit to be as nice as he thought it was.

"THANK you, Sans." The teenager spoke harshly as he glared at both Chara and Frisk. At this point, everyone was home and those who didn't live in the abode had left for the night as it was nearing nine in the afternoon. "At least someone can realize true coolness."

"Pfft, or he's just being nice. Like a loser." Chara spoke up with a joking smile as they ruffled the man in questions head, making the shorter chuckle a loud as he smiled into the touch. The parents in the room were shocked to say the least when they came home and seen how close Chara had gotten with Sans, but weren't going to say a single thing about it as their son had never been good at making friends before. "But you look like something the 80's threw up. Go change."

"I'D HATE TO SAY IT, BUT I AGREE. YOU LOOK FAR TOO... COLORFUL." Papyrus chimed in with his two cents before looking back down at his laptop with a smile, reports littering his screen.

"I look good! Tell them, mom!" The very brightly dressed male said in anger, only to frown even further as his mother ignored the commotion, instead she pretended to focus on her recipe book as she knew that speaking her true opinion on the matter would only hurt someones feelings. "Ugh. Fine. I'll change. Sans, come help me find an outfit."

"k." Sans said in shock at being called on for help. He hadn't exactly spoken much with this particular character after all, but was welcoming the chance to get to know him more as he shot off the couch and trailed behind the taller male like a lost duckling. The two other siblings on the couch looked as though they were going to protest the injured man being taken away, but one quick look from Asgore silenced them both.

The father knew from hearing about the children's day, that Asriel was the only one yet to bond with their new housemate, and as much as he enjoyed the cute interactions that Sans shared with the two on the sofa, his middle child deserved the same treatment.

"where are you goin by the way?" Sans asked softly as the two entered the high school students room, Asriel immediately running to the closet with a groan of anger before he turned on his heel and smiled at the shorter.

"A party. Don't tell my mom, but there will be lots of.. Fun things there." The taller laughed at the statement as the other simply cocked his eyebrow up in confusion. "Like booze and stuff. Ah, ya I guess you don't know what that is, huh?"

"nope." Was the simple response as Sans sat himself onto the taller's bed, watching intently as the other pulled various articles of clothing from his closet and held them up to his own form, prompting Sans to either nod or shake his head. "is it fun?"

"Very! Haha." Asriel said happily as he held a pair of black jeans against his legs, smiling when the shorter nodded. The brown eyed male then set the article down next to the other on the bed before moving onto his shirt. "It's basically a liquid that makes you happy."

"...huh. can i try some?" Sans asked, making the taller freeze for a second before laughing nervously.

"I don't think Papyrus would like that too much. I mean, you are of age. But he's pretty protective of you." Sans sighed sadly, making the other frown at the reaction before pulling out another shirt and holding it to his form with a smile. "How about I bring you some home? If I remember..."

That made the other brighten up before lazily closing his eye and shaking his head at the others shirt choice. "try that yellow thing."

Asriel turned back around to look into his closet, grabbing the only article of clothing that was yellow and choking out a laugh as he turned to show the other what he had picked. "This is something an old lady would wear."

"i like it." The shorter smiled in reassurance as Asriel sighed before gesturing for the injured male to turn around so the taller could change.

Asriel did so quickly before looking himself over in the mirror and smiling softly at how the outfit actually looked really good on him. Sans turned back around when the other told him too and smiled as well. "lookin good. like an egg."

"Ha! Is that why you picked it?"

"maybe." Sans joked in turn as the two finally got up and exited the room, Asriel getting a confirmation on his outfit from both his siblings and parents before he left the home and allowed Sans to snuggle his way back in between the two other relatives on the couch who quickly began showing the short man whatever memes they had saved on their phones.

The short male knew not to break the now gone males trust by telling his family about what was going to be consumed at the party, but at the same time didn't see why it was meant to be a secret. Asriel had said that it was simply a drink that made you happy after taking it in, so why is it such a bad thing? Sans was honestly excited at the prospect of the teenager bringing him home some of it to try, even if he would need to keep it a secret from everyone. Papyrus included.

Unfortunately for the sky eyed male, the brightly dressed teenager was planning to do just that later in the night. And Sans had yet to realize that he was not a stable drunk.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------

Tbc.

Thank you all for the feedback in regards to what pairing you all want! I have a good idea on what I'm doing now, and hopefully it makes everyone happy in some way or another!~

Also I want to point out that Sans was not scared of the gory video game as he was in control of his character completely and it was animated. The movie was more realistic and he could never control just what was going to happen in it. And I wanna apologize for this weak chapter, I'm going to be getting more into the darker stuff in the next one so look forward to that!~


	7. Hate Only Breeds Hate

A single orb cracked itself open with strain as the feeling of a hand frantically shaking his shoulder shot his mind back into gear. The sleep that had previously glued the blue eye shut was wiped away with a white sleeve as the short and still very tired character on the bed looked up at whoever was attempting to gain his attention.

Asriel, the injured man thought with a smile as he sat himself up, only to crinkle his nose in confusion as an odd and overpowering scent filled his nostrils. Sans quickly realized that the smell was erupting from the teenagers breath as he leaned over the shorter's bed and smiled far too widely down at the older.

"what time is it?" Sans asked softly as he wiped a trail of drool off the side of his mouth, Asriel chuckling at nothing as he pulled on the shorter's sleeve, making Sans wince as the taller practically lifted his form off of the bed.

"S'fine, s'fine! You uh... You gotta come with me!" It was obvious that the younger wasn't aware of how loud his voice was, but the other couldn't even think clearly enough to quiet him down as his eye locked on the small alarm clock by his bed where the numbers '1:46 AM' blared back at him.

"asriel. it's really early. does toriel know you're home?" The shorter asked as the other continued to drag him out of the room and into the pitch black hallway.

"Some of my bros wanna meet you. We've-" The brown eyed male ignored the other as he took a moment to burp into his free hand before chuckling and continuing his train of thought. "We've got booze. Cause I promised ya!"

"um, maybe i shouldn't?" Sans asked more than stated as he was pulled down the stairs, free hand gripping the railing to his side as his eye was unable to see where each step was located due to not a hint of light illuminating the hall. "i mean. pap's said i shouldn't leave the house."

"S'fine! Don't be a loser." The older's eye downcast at the insult as the taller pulled him to the front door and thankfully allowed the older a moment to put his shoes and parka on. The sober male was thankful that he had at least worn a pair of white track pants to bed instead of his usual boxers as the chill of the night hit him like a train the second the student opened the front door. "Here he is!"

A lip was sucked into a set of pearly white teeth in nervousness as the short male was now face to face with a group of three strangers. His eye locked onto his shoes as the three grew closer to his form and oddly smelled the same as Asriel himself did. It was gross to say the least, but Sans wasn't about to say anything that could potentially insult the intimidating figures that now surrounded his form.

"Holy shit, you got a fuckin' cutie living in your house." The raven haired male licked his lips as he spoke, eyes looking down the now shaking males form before taking a swig from a bottle that was concealed by a brown paper bag. "Lucky fucker."

"Don't be a creep, Doggo." Asriel growled softly as he grabbed yet another hidden bottle from one of the other characters before quickly thrusting the item into Sans' hands with a smile before gesturing for everyone to walk away from the house. "C'mon. I don't wanna risk anyone wakin up."

Sans bit his cheek as his brows furrowed together in a look of concern as he was led away from the large home. Papyrus would be furious if he found out about this, he thought to himself with a sigh as he stayed rooted in place. "asriel?"

The teenager in question turned on his heel, brow cocked up in confusion upon noticing the shorter wasn't following the four. "What's up?"

"i shouldn't go. here," The oldest of the group made a motion to hand the mystery liquid back to the taller, only to try and step back in alarm as the students hand reached out and grabbed him from around the wrist.

"No way! You can't stay in that house forever, dude! You'll go insane!" The younger attempted to convince Sans as he tugged him closer to the students, a wide smile covering the yellow clad males features even as the shorter attempted to fight off his hold. "Shit man, we can go drink by the lake! There's ducks there, and you haven't seen ducks before right?"

Sans didn't respond as he tried to root his heels into the ground, only to gasp in shock as Doggo grasped his other wrist and helped Asriel pull him along. "h-hey..."

His protests went unheard as the teenagers forced him further and further away from his home, only to stop at a bench that was planted next to a stream of water before looking down at the injured man and gesturing for him to try the drink. Sans did so only so that the four wouldn't force him too, only to choke and almost spit the hot and burning liquid out.

He couldn't do so as a large hand covered his mouth and forced him to swallow the vile liquid, making the much younger characters laugh around his form before making him repeat the painful action once more.

It hurt, and Sans was scared as his mind slowly grew hazier and hazier with each mouthful of alcohol that he consumed. He should of stayed in bed. He should of yelled at Papyrus for help. But above all else, he should of focused more on what path he needed to take in order to get back home. As before the short male knew it, he was alone, cold, and lost.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

A groan of pain escaped a pair of chapped lips as a piercing pain erupted from a short males skull. The throbbing headache prompted him to quickly attempt at bringing a hand up to rub at the sore spot, only for him to open his orb in shock at finding his arms trapped at his sides, unable to move.

The room was dimly lit by the small amount of light protruding from the hallway that was barely entering through the slightly cracked open door, but it provided enough illumination for him to take in his surroundings and realize that he was simply trapped under a cocoon of blankets and not strapped down by ropes or chains. It was then a struggle to get the several layers off of Sans' form, but as soon as he was free of the soft confines he wasted no time in kicking his feet off the bed and wincing at the cold shock wave that erupted from his feet upon touching the frigid floor.

"ugh..." The male groaned once again as his stomach churned painfully, making him grasp at both his mouth and the material on the front of his shirt as he slowed down his breathing and tried his hardest to keep the contents in his stomach in his system rather than on the floor. The action did pull a small string of confusion from the short male however as he realized the shirt that he was now wearing was not the same as the one he had put on before bed last night. "wha..?"

His deep voice was stopped in it's tracks as his throat protested at the simple words. It felt as though the male hadn't consumed a drop of liquid in over a week with how dry and painful his throat was at the moment. Now that the injured male was thinking on his physical state however, he realized that the pain didn't simply stop there. No, instead his entire form felt as though it had been hit repeatedly with a bat.

Nothing hurt more so than the mans head though. It made the short character curl into himself on the bed, knees pressing against his chest as his hands buried themselves into his white locks. The strands were pulled on as a set of teeth clenched tightly in pain as the man fell onto his side and swallowed a mouthful of saliva in a futile attempt at moistening his mouth.

"SANS?" The man in question groaned loudly as he moved his hands down slightly to cover his ears, the softly spoken word piercing Sans' ears in a way that made the male want to cry as he tried to block out any further noise. The teenager at the door seemed to of understood that his friend wanted silence as he sighed gently and walked into the others room, shutting the door behind himself as he made his way over to the other.

Papyrus remained silent even as he sat a covered tray onto the others night stand before grabbing the large glass of orange juice on the metal plate and the smaller cup that had a mere two blue pills inside. The officer was patient as he waited for the other to regulate his breathing and crack his blood shot eye open, locking it onto the taller slowly and sniffing the air before quickly turning green and covering his mouth once again with his palm.

"OH GOSH, DO YOU NEED A BUCKET?" The blonde asked frantically at the motion, only to sigh and rub a hand over his forehead as the shorter shook his head softly. "ONCE YOU CALM DOWN YOU NEED TO TAKE THESE. THEY WILL HELP WITH THE PAIN."

Sans' orb filled with tears at the others tone, picking up the anger immediately as he turned his head to the side in order to bury it into his pillow. The younger noticed the action with a frown before setting the glass and medication down and sitting himself gently onto the edge of the hurt males bed. His hand reached out to gently rub at the others shoulder, only to pull back suddenly as the shorter flinched away from the touch. "SANS..."

"m'sorry... i don't know what i did, but m'sorry." Sans started softly, voice cracking with each word but it went ignored as he continued. "i'll do anything... please just make this stop."

"SANS, YOU DID NOTHING WRONG." There was a lot of emphasis on the word 'you' but Sans paid it no mind as he sniffed gently and pulled his face off of the now damp material under his head. "I HAVE SOME PILLS THAT CAN HELP A BIT, BUT A HANGOVER CAN ONLY REALLY BE CURED WITH TIME AND LIQUIDS."

"hangover?"

"YES. YOU... DRANK LAST NIGHT, DIDN'T YOU?" The officer asked softly as Sans blinked softly as he tapped into his memories of the night prior, only for his orb to widen slightly in shock upon remembering just why he was feeling the way he was currently. Papyrus picked up on the expression right away however and frowned before speaking once again. "SANS, IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT, YOU NEED TO TELL ME."

"but... i don't want you to yell at me..." Sans almost sobbed as Papyrus choked back a whimper of his own upon hearing such a fear filled statement escape his friend. "or hit me... i know i deserve it but-"

"DON'T EVEN FINISH THAT SENTENCE!" The blonde started with a shout before toning down his voice upon seeing the other flinch in both fear and pain once more. "YOU DO NOT, NOR EVER, DESERVE TO BE STRUCK. SANS, YOU DID NOTHING WRONG. I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED."

"i don't really remember much... asriel came into my room last night and uh..." The elder looked away from the taller with a slight frown. "dragged me outside. there were some other people with him and they made me follow them somewhere i can't remember before making me drink something gross..."

"WHEN YOU SAY THEY MADE YOU DO THESE THINGS, HOW EXACTLY DID THEY MAKE YOU?" Papyrus asked seriously as Sans sat himself up and crossed his arms across his chest, eyes looking everywhere but at the blonde in nervousness at either getting in trouble himself or getting someone else in trouble.

"um, they pulled me by my wrists. then made me drink something hot, and um... they covered my mouth so i wouldn't spit it out..." The shorter explained quietly, not seeing the others look of horror and anger as he played with the hem of his shirt. "i don't remember anything else..."

"..." Papyrus was silent for a moment before shaking his head and smiling shakily down at the shorter. "WELL, AFTER YOU DRANK THEY LEFT YOU BY THE RIVER. LUCKILY THOUGH, CHARA NOTICED YOUR DEPARTURE AND FOLLOWED YOU ALL AND BROUGHT YOU HOME. HE DID TELL ME WHAT YOU JUST DID, BUT I WANTED TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS ALL TRUE BEFORE DOING ANYTHING."

"huh... gotta thank him then." Sans said with a small smile as Papyrus once again grabbed the juice on the table as well as the medication next to it. "but 'before you do anything'? what are you gonna do?"

"WELL FIRSTLY, I AM GOING TO GIVE YOU THIS." Papyrus said with a smile of his own as the shorter finally accepted the drink before taking the pills down with ease. "AND THEN I AM GOING TO INFORM TORIEL THAT WHAT CHARA SAID IS TRUE AND HAVE ASRIEL TRANSFERRED TO MILITARY SCHOOL."

There was a moment of silence as the shorter wrapped his head around just what the other had said, juice now half gone in the glass clasped between his hands as he rested against the bed frame before looking up at the blonde in confusion. "what's military camp?"

"IT'S... WELL, A CAMP FOR DELINQUENTS REALLY. HE WILL BE LEAVING TOMORROW MORNING."

"wha-? no. i'm sorry." Papyrus made a noise of confusion at the sudden protest as Sans' shook his head almost frantically. "it was my fault. please don't send him away."

"IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT, SANS. HE BROUGHT THIS ON HIMSELF, AND IT ISN'T THE FIRST TIME HE HAS MADE SUCH POOR DECISIONS WITH ALCOHOL. BUT THIS TIME HE WENT MUCH TOO FAR." The officer's voice slowly began to take on a growl as he spoke, making the others eye widen slightly at the foreign tone coming out of his friends mouth. "YOU COULD OF BEEN HURT, OR EVEN KILLED! I JUST WISH CHARA HAD INTERVENED BEFORE THEY MADE YOU DRINK ANYTHING."

"no they... they seemed pretty weird. i wouldn't of wanted him to get hurt trying to help." Sans said in defense of the teenager as Papyrus looked down at him with a sigh.

"YOU'RE RIGHT. BUT I STILL CAN'T HELP BUT BE FURIOUS. SANS, ARE YOU EVEN AWARE OF JUST HOW DANGEROUS ALCOHOL IS?" The shorter shook his head softly at the question.

"no... asriel just said it was juice that makes you happy." Sans explained softly, but before the taller could say anything he spoke up once again. "but i should of told you. i'm sorry, papyrus."

"DON'T BE SORRY, SANS. YOU ARE THE VICTIM IN THIS." The taller said with a frown at hearing yet another apology pour from his friends mouth, but he pushed it aside in favor of grabbing the tray from the bedside table, setting the item onto the others lap with a smile as he removed the plates cover to reveal a breakfast consisting of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast.

Sans thought that the smell of the food would cause his stomach to churn once again, but was pleasantly surprised when his inner's gurgled in want at the food presented to him. Which is why the older male wasted no time in grabbing his fork and digging into the meal as Papyrus watched him from his perch on the edge of the bed. The tallest of the twos orange orbs pulled themselves off of the messy eater next to him as he pulled out his phone from the depths of his skinny jeans before tapping on it's screen and putting it back into his pants.

"wan shome?" The younger chuckled softly as the other offered him a handful of bacon, shaking his head at the offer but thanking him nonetheless as waited for Sans to finish eating so he could take the dishes away.

It didn't take that long for the older to finish eating and pass the plate back to the taller who set it back onto the tray and stood up, taking the now dirty items into his arm before smiling softly at Sans and using his free hand to run his thin fingertips through the shorter's locks, gently massaging the others skull with a smile as the action prompted a blue orb to slowly flutter shut as the shorter leaned further into the officers touch.

Unfortunately the blonde couldn't continue with the action as his morning was packed with events due to the mishap that occurred the night prior, making him remove his hand almost sadly and grasp it onto the tray as Sans hummed out a noise of protest as his eye re-opened. "SORRY, BUT I'VE GOTTA GO. YOU SHOULD GET SOME REST."

"k." Was the simple and sleep filled response as Sans layed himself back down and cuddled into his blankets, making the off duty officer smile softly at the adorable action. The blonde then turned on his heel and left the room, shutting the door behind him to allow the tired male full privacy as he then trudged down the stairs and ignored the four characters stationed in the living room until he had successfully cleaned all of Sans' dishes in the kitchen. Once that was completed, Papyrus moved himself back into the largest room of the house and planted himself on the couch next to Chara, who like everyone else, had their full attention locked on the teenager.

"CHARA'S STORY WAS MOSTLY ACCURATE. I'M NOT SURE IF HE SAW, BUT THEY ALSO FORCED SANS TO DRINK ALCOHOL AND COVERED HIS MOUTH WHEN HE TRIED TO SPIT IT OUT." Papyrus summarized calmly, eyes locking onto Toriel's own as she bit her lip and shook her head in disappointment. The only people not present in the room were Frisk as they were at a friends, and obviously Sans who was now snoozing peacefully in his room.

Asriel himself was huddled into the corner of the sofa as he locked his pupils onto the coffee table. Guilt and pain were practically radiating from the young mans every crevice ever since he got home at five in the morning, where everyone had been waiting with disappointed frowns in the living room as Sans tried to climb Asgore with Papyrus grasping his hips to get him to calm down as a bright blue hue covered his cheeks. At that moment the houses party goer knew that he was in deep trouble as his parents then forced a pot of coffee down his throat and practically screamed at him for his poor life choices.

"I don't remember any of that." The youngest in the room spoke meekly in an attempt to defend himself, only to be met with glares in turn. "Seriously, when Sans asked me for alcohol I wasn't actually going to bring any!"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'WHEN HE ASKED'?"

"I told him that I would be drinking at the party and he asked if I could bring some home for him to try." Was the simple answer as Papyrus placed his elbows on his knees and leaned against them.

"AND YOU PROMISED THIS KNOWING SANS HAD NO IDEA WHAT ALCOHOL ACTUALLY WAS?"

"Like I said, I wasn't actually going to bring him some. But I guess at some point during the night I brought up Sans to some friends and they insisted on seeing him."

"Wait, did you say anything personal about Sans?" Chara chimed in with a growl, he had been furious ever since he woke up in the middle of the night to see his brother dragging Sans away before abandoning him by a stream. It made the cherry cheeked teenager want to beat the younger up, but as Sans had predicted early, the brunette didn't stand a chance against the three others and would of only gotten both himself and Sans hurt if he intervened too early.

Which made the teenager hate himself as he could only sit back and watch as Doggo felt up Sans and forced more alcohol down his throat.

"I... I don't know." Asriel responded in a tone that made the other growl.

"I'll take that as a yes, then. You fuckhead."

"Chara, language." Toriel finally spoke up, making her eldest child frown as he crossed his arms and then leaned back into the couch in anger. "Although I do have to agree that saying anything about Sans was a terrible idea. You know that there is someone looking for him."

"I was drunk! It's not my fault. He's like... Ther perfect conversation starter anyways."

"WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN?" The officer growled as Asriel looked up finally and met the taller's gaze head on.

"I mean, he's a train wreck! Christ, are we never going to mention just how messed up he-" The youngest's words were halted in their tracks as a fist planted itself at the side of his skull, the sheer force of the hit pushed Asriel onto the floor and left him to do nothing more than grasp at his cheek and stare up at his brother with wide eyes.

"Chara!" Both Asgore and Toriel shouted in alarm as they got up and stared down at their two children, Papyrus remaining still as he knew the younger's actions were warranted, and only wished that he could of done so himself.

"You fucking ass!" The brunette shouted in anger as they towered over his sibling who was now cowering on the floor at the taller's feet. The teenagers parents made a motion to pull the two apart to stop any further blood shed, but stopped by a simple look from Papyrus, who knew that the child would do nothing more physically wise.

"The hell, Chara?!" Asriel shouted from his perch on the floor, blood leaking out of his nose as he frantically attempted to plug the nostrils shut. "Why do you even care? He's been here for like a day!"

"Ya, and I already like him more than I like you!" Chara's entire form shook in rage as the teenagers thoughts pooled out of his mouth. He wasn't lying. Sans may be a new character in the family's home, but it was safe to say that he was now an important person in their lives. "He's been through so fucking much and you want to add onto that?!"

"No! I was drunk, what part of that do you guys not get?!"

"Asiel, it was your fault that you drank in the first place." Toriel spoke harshly but softly as she finally took a gentle hold of Chara's shoulder and pulled him back. "You lied to me and almost hurt Sans in the process. I'm sorry, but you leave us with no choice. We are sending you to Military School."

"Wha- No! You can't do that!" The brown eyed male yelled with a frown as he finally stood up and looked frantically at his father. "You aren't seriously going to send me away, are you?"

Asgore was silent for a moment before sighing and looking sternly down at his son. "Yes. Pack your things, you leave in the morning."

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An ear was slowly removed from it's place pressed against the large wooden door connecting to the hallway. The figure attached to the part couldn't help but bite his lip harshly in sorrow as he walked deeper into the room and planted himself on his bed.

The group of characters downstairs weren't even slightly aware of how Sans was listening to them the entire time they were fighting and grew more and more depressed with each word that they all spoke. What Asriel said was true. He was a wreck, the bandage covered male thought with a frown as he grasped his left wrist tightly, unraveling the bandages and revealing a plethora of scars that were quickly scratched with the males blunt fingernails as his mind raced.

He couldn't stay here. The injured male was nothing more than a burden to these people, and the was the last thing he ever wanted to be for anyone.

So there was really nothing the man could do now but leave, sparing this family of his problems and further arguments in doing so. Hopefully his departure would also change Toriel's mind on sending her son away, because Sans didn't believe that the student deserved it. He wasn't the one in the wrong after all, Sans was the one who asked for the liquor in the first place and the teenager wasn't to blame for his actions.

Especially considering, as Asriel shouted just moments ago, he was drunk. And you couldn't blame the student for his actions while being intoxicated, as Sans himself couldn't remember anything he had done while under the liquids influence. Which is why the short character didn't understand why no anger was being thrown his way, or why he wasn't being sent away rather than Asriel.

Either way, the adult thought with a frown as he finally stood up and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, only to stop mid motion upon noticing his sleeve was now stained red and the lines etched into his wrist were ripped open. He hadn't even realized the amount of damage he was doing to himself as he thought on the people downstairs. But it didn't matter. He deserved to be hurt after what he had just put everyone through.

Sans sniffed harshly in an attempt to keep his tears contained as he walked towards his dresser and opened up the first drawer. He felt bad about taking a pair of clothing with him, but understood that simply walking down the streets in the nude probably wasn't ethical. So, the male pulled a pair of ripped light blue jeans from the drawer, as well as a black hoodie and a fresh pair of underwear before changing and grabbing the first pair of socks Papyrus had gotten for him. They were bright pink and freshly washed by Toriel yesterday morning, which Sans was grateful for as he threw them on and walked to the small locked window trapping him in the room.

It was almost too easy to unlock the mechanism on the white framed pane of glass, and Sans only took a brief moment to grab his slippers before crawling out of the window and grasping onto the drain pipe by it's side. The twenty year old clenched his eye shut as he then put all of his weight into the pipe and quickly slid down the metal cylinder, only re-opening his orb when his feet felt the damp surface of the ground.

It was then that Sans realized that it was raining, but that wasn't going to stop the male as he threw his hood onto his head in a sad attempt at keeping his head dry as he then walked out of the backyard and onto the desolate streets in a direction that Sans himself wasn't even sure of. But anywhere was better than the Dreemur's home, as if he were to stay, he would only interfere with their lives. And not for the better.

\------------------------------------------------------------------

Alphys hummed a gentle tune to herself as she twisted her wrist to the side, screwing a nail into a metal plate before looking the item over for any faults in the surface. When none were discovered she smiled to herself as she set the item down and leaned back into her swivel chair with a sigh of exhaustion as she rubbed her fingertips against her eyes, as if such an action would wipe away the black bags under the orbs away.

Alas, only sleep would erase the woman's periorbital puffiness, and that didn't seem to be happening anytime soon as she looked back down at her desk at the large stack of papers that awaited her signage. Missing the day prior put a rather large damper on her work as the character she had asked to cover her shift did nothing more than put a few files away before going home.

She couldn't exactly blame the man though as her boss was the one to instruct him to do such a thing as he didn't believe that the part-time student could understand just what Alphys herself was working on. Which wasn't exactly inaccurate but the lady couldn't blame anyone but herself for being set back in her work. Not that she regretted her choices, she mused with a smile as she pulled out her phone to re-look at the photo she had taken of Sans, Papyrus, and Frisk cuddled into one another on the Dreemur's black sofa.

"Doctor Alphys?" The woman in question jumped in alarm at the sudden call, dropping her phone onto the ground in the process as a hand gripped her lab coat in alarm. Her pointed and painted white nails threatened to rip the material as she quickly turned her chair to direct her attention at her offices door, allowing her to calm down upon seeing her boss standing by the slightly opened door. "Sorry, I didn't wish to alarm you."

The man smiled softly as he walked further into the room, bending himself down to pick up the shorter's cellphone as she herself chuckled nervously at being caught not working. "I-It's alright. W-What can I h-help you w-with, sir?"

There was silence that met the question as the black haired man stood back up and stared down at her cellphone, eyes wide as his smile was completely erased from his features at whatever his eyes were locked onto. Alphys blinked in confusion at the odd expression, wondering what about her phone could of possibly elicited such a response as she stood up and stared up at the male. "U-Um... Sir?"

"Oh. My apologies." Gaster threw another smile onto his face, only this one was completely faux as he handed the phone back to the blonde. "May I ask who that character is? The one in the middle?"

"T-That's Sans." Alphys explained as she took the electronic back and checked the device over for any scratches. "P-Papyrus found h-him awhile back... He's b-been through a-a lot thanks to some p-psychopath who k-kept him p-prisoner his whole life."

With her eyes locked onto the cellphone, Alphys couldn't see the look of anger lacing her bosses features as he listened to her speak. That was wiped away quickly however as she looked back up at him with a smile. "H-He's a great guy though. V-Very kind and s-smart."

"Hm... Well, I would very much like to meet this man some day. He sounds wonderful." Gaster almost muttered as the blonde nodded in agreement, missing the others odd actions as she blinked in alarm when a Japanese song pierced the air suddenly, making the woman look up at her boss while biting her lip.

The elder nodded at her to take the call as he simply moved to her desk to look over her work, making the woman quickly swipe on the smartphone to answer the call before pressing it against the side of her face. "H-Hello?"

_"ALPHYS! I AM SORRY TO ALARM YOU BUT WE NEED YOU HERE NOW!"_ The high pitched voice of Papyrus would of made her move the phone further away from her ear if she hadn't of gotten used to the others tone, instead she immediately picked up on her friends alarm and the urgency lacing his tone.

"W-What's wrong?" She asked quickly.

_"IT'S SANS! HE'S GONE! I THOUGHT HE WAS SLEEPING IN HIS ROOM BUT HE BROKE OUT THROUGH THE WINDOW, AND WE CAN'T FIND HIM!"_

'Again?' Alphys thought to herself with a frown upon hearing the injured male disappeared once more. Honestly she didn't think he would ever do such a thing again after seeing how badly he had worried everyone, which led her to believe that there was a serious reason as to why Sans was nowhere to be found.

"W-Why would he r-run away?" Alphys asked, wanting to get at least a good grasp of the situation before rushing over. She would do no good making assumptions after all.

_"I'M UNSURE... HE MAY OF HEARD US FIGHTING. ASIREL MADE A RATHER POOR DECISION LAST NIGHT THAT COULD OF COST SANS HIS LIFE, SO WE ARE SENDING HIM TO MILITARY SCHOOL,"_ The news was surprising but not exactly unwarranted to the scientist as she knew that the teenager was known for doing whatever he wanted in regards to drinking and drugs. _"WHEN I TOLD SANS HE SEEMED RATHER DISTRAUGHT BY THE NEWS, THINKING HE WAS TO BLAME FOR IT. THAT MAY OF BEEN WHY HE RAN OFF."_

"O-Oh no... I'll be right over. Call U-Undyne as w-well. The m-more people we have, t-the more ground w-we can cover." Papyrus made a noise of agreement on the other end before hanging up and prompting the small woman to turn on her heel to look at her boss, who was very clearly listening to that entire conversation. "D-Doctor Gaster, I-I am sorry to a-ask, but I-I need to leave."

"Why is that?" Gaster asked with a cocked brow, already knowing what was going on but wanting to hear it directly from his subordinate.

"S-Sans had r-run off. W-We need to find h-him before he g-gets hurt." Alphys explained as she grabbed her purse and slung it over her shoulder, blinking in shock however as her boss then stood up and led her out of the room.

"I can drive you over. My agenda for today is rather empty," The man lied as the two then practically sprinted down the labs hallways. "Where would he possibly be?"

"I-I don't know. He hasn't left t-the house since m-moving in, so I-I don't think he k-knows where a-anything even is."

Gaster simply nodded as they exited the building and ran into the parking lot, not having to go very far as the male scientist had a reserved spot for parking right next to the building. Alphys herself was feeling grateful for the extra help as she got into the passenger seat and watched as the taller put his key in the ignition before pulling out of their workplaces parking lot. She didn't drive herself, so it was a huge help that her boss was giving her a lift.

Unbeknownst to the glasses clad woman however, Gaster had more in mind than just helping the family find their missing friend. This was his one opportunity to get his love back since the hospital he had called earlier wouldn't disclose any information about their patients to strangers, regardless of who that stranger may be. He never would of guessed that his son had ended up at the Dreemur's abode, but was thankful as it made retrieving his missing property all the more easy.

He would assist the family in finding 'Sans'. But he wasn't leaving this scene empty handed.

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Tbc.

Thank you all so much for the reviews and kudos! The second I get them I get all revved up in posting the next chapter!~


	8. New and Old Faces

A hand was rubbed over a scruff covered cheek in an attempt to rid the surface of any moisture, only for the character attached to the limb to cease his actions upon realizing that it was a pointless endeavor. The rain cascading from the clouds above didn't seem to be relenting any time soon after all, and trying to dry himself off at this point was nothing more than a thought as his clothes stuck to his skin from how soaked the material was.

Sans wasn't sure how long he had been outside, but it obviously hadn't been too long as he looked up at the sky and noticed the sun had yet to move. That made the man sigh gently as he shoved his hands back into his sweaters pocket, clasping the cold fingers together under the wet fabric and wincing as each of his foot steps caused a loud and wet squeaking noise to erupt from the males pink slippers.

He knew that it probably wasn't smart to just run away like he did without at least leaving a note, as he knew Papyrus would more than likely look for him, but that family would be thankful for his disappearance in the end. He thought with a small frown as he sniffed and tried to stop his body from shaking. The Dreemur's were better off without him, Sans convinced himself as he continued walking, everyone was better off without him in their lives.

The single eyed male was nothing more than a nuisance, that he knew as he locked his orb onto the ground in order to avoid the looks that he was receiving from every stranger that he passed on the street. Thankfully, no one tried to speak with him as he continuously moved forward to a location that he wasn't yet aware of, as Sans wasn't exactly a master in talking with other people. Especially when he didn't have Papyrus by his side.

That thought made the injured male sigh softly as he finally stopped in his tracks and leaned against a random brick wall for support, eyes finally looking up at his surroundings in order to try and pin-point where he was. It was futile considering Sans had only ever been in three different places in his lifetime, none of which looked anything like the scenery that now met the males eye. It was a deserted alley way with a single dumpster pressed against one of the chipped walls, an odd scent illuminating from the trash bin and prompting the short male to cover his nose as he slid his body down the wall and planted his bottom on the wet ground in a defeated stance.

This was as good of a moment as any for Sans to relax and think on just what he was going to do now. He couldn't go back, but at the same time he had nowhere else to go. The man was stuck as he hugged his arms around his chest and rubbed the appendages up and down, trying to gain some warmth back into his form as he relaxed on the cold cement.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" A blue orb shot up in alarm as a familiar and deep voice pierced his ears, only for him to cock an eyebrow up in confusion upon seeing a teenager who he had no recollection of meeting before. "Sans, right?"

"um... ya." The male responded as he stayed rooted on the ground, the man that now hovered over him was grinning as the two characters at his sides remained silent. "do i know you?"

"You don't remember us? Wow, and I thought we had a pretty fun night together." Sans blinked slowly in confusion at the statement as he sniffed once again and racked his mind for just where he had met this character before. "It was just last night, cutie. But I guess you were a little drunk at the time."

Oh. Sans thought with a forced smile as he remembered this man as being one of the few that was drinking with Asriel the night prior. And if he recalled correctly, he didn't really fancy this teenager. "right. um, good to see you again."

"It really is." Doggo practically purred as he leaned against the wall and made Sans huddle even deeper into himself in order to put some distance between himself and the other. "Why are you out here all by yourself?"

"no reason." The older lied as he finally stood up and made a motion to leave. "but i should get going..."

"So soon?" A hand grasped at Sans' shoulder, halting him in his tracks and making the shorter wince at the force that the younger was applying to his arm. "But we didn't even get to have any fun last night."

"fun?" Sans asked softly as he simply dealt with the taller's hold, already knowing that he wouldn't be able to fight him off being as tired as he was. "what do you mean?"

"Heh. You know, I didn't believe Flowey when he said you were like a child." The teenagers face grew closer to the shorter's own until Sans could practically taste the scent of tobacco that was lacing the taller's breath. "Guess he was right."

"flowey?" The soaked man cursed himself as yet another question left his lips. It seemed as though all he was good at was being confused.

"Asriel. Whatever the hell you wanna call him." Doggo shrugged as he pushed the bandage covered male against the wall and boxed him against the bricks with his arms on either side of the shorter's head. "Either way, I think it's only right if I teach you what adults do. I mean, you probably don't even know what sex is, right?"

"..." Sans remained silent as the taller's tone grew into something that he didn't wish to test. Whatever the younger was speaking about was obviously something that the older wouldn't enjoy learning about judging by the glazed over look that filled the others brown orbs when he suggested it. But the one eyed male was trapped by the larger's form, and even if he were to escape Doggo, two more males blocked his path.

Brain racing a mile a minute on what he could possibly do to divert the situation in his favor, Sans didn't even realize when a hand slowly itched itself down his form until it had a firm hold of his buttocks.

The twenty year old squeaked in alarm at the feeling as his wide orb looked up at the lust filled expression that Doggo was now wearing, lips wet as he licked them once again and pressed his own figure even closer to the shorter's own. Sans' breathing sped up as he put his palms against the taller's chest and attempted to push him away, only to wince in pain as Doggo's free hand wrapped against his wrists and pushed them against the wall above his head, pinning him in place. "p-please stop!"

"Hey, Doggo." One of the other men piped up in a nervous tone as his tanned hand landed on the raven haired males shoulder. "This is going a little far."

"Shut your fucking mouth, Aaron!" Doggo slapped the hand away, removing it from Sans' bottom as a result before pressing the shorter further into the wall and pulling a gasp of pain from the shorter's lips. "If you're gonna be a pussy then leave."

"Dude..." The muscled teenager mumbled out in shock before shaking his head and turning on his heel, giving Sans once last look of pity before departing from everyone's sights. Sans didn't understand just what had occurred, but wished that it hadn't as it seemed to of only made the man currently pinning him against the wall angry.

Luck seemed to of been playing in the blue eyed males favor however as a door a few feet away from the three opened and an unseen character emerged from the building. "... What's going on here...?"

"Shit, run!" Sans blinked as he sank back onto the ground as his form was quickly let go and the two teenagers darted off down the alleyway, making the man sigh shakily as he tried to wrap his mind around just what had happened as yet another character loomed over his form, only this one didn't seem hostile as he bent down to be at eye level with the shaking male.

"... Are you alright...?" The man asked and prompted Sans to wipe his face free of any built up tears before locking his orb onto the taller's own set of greens. He had never seen that color in someones eyes before, the adult thought idly before shaking his head upon remembering the red head character had just asked him a question.

"ya. m'fine." Sans said finally with a forced smile of reassurance.

"... You look cold..." The man stated as Sans leaned away from the taller's face in order to sneeze into his sleeve. The shorter sniffed once again before shaking his head.

"naw, i'm good. i'm just..." Sans paused for a moment as he racked his brain before grinning and leaning back against the wall lazily. "dripping with good looks."

"... That was good... But you should still get out of the rain..." The man spoke softly as he himself was starting to get wet from the seemingly never ending rain. Sans made no motion to move as he looked back down at his lap, mind reminding the male that he still had nowhere to go. The stranger seemed to of picked up on the shorter's mindset as he stood up himself before holding out a hand to the soaked man on the ground, who blinked up at the appendage in confusion.

Sans had a small voice in the back of his mind telling him not to do what he was about to, but he ignored it in favor of not wanting to seem rude. So, he grasped the taller's hand into his own and shook it before letting it go and making the taller blink down at him in confusion before chuckling at the action and leaning down once more. "... Why don't you come inside...?"

"huh?" Sans blinked up at the stranger who was now smiling down at him.

"... I just got off work... And I have hot chocolate at home..." A blue orb blinked slowly at the suggestion before getting the hint and standing up, crossing his arms above his chest nervously as the taller simply led him back into the same door he had exited mere moments ago. The shorter relished in the warmth that wrapped around his form for as long as he could as he simply followed behind the suit cladded man in silence, eye taking in the new scenery with every step that he took.

For all he knew this was nothing more than a ploy that the taller was setting in order to murder him. But at least he would die warm, the male thought with a mental chuckle as he rubbed his nose and trudged up a set of stairs that the taller was leading him towards. Once at the top, the man quickly led him towards a small bathroom and grabbed a soft looking towel from under the sinks drawer before setting it on the sink and turning back to the shorter.

"... While you shower... I will prepare something warm for you... Oh, and I'll get you some dry clothes... One moment..." The man then left the room as Sans looked around at his surroundings. The bathroom was much smaller than the one back ho- at the Dreemur's house, but the man was thankful for any room that was out of the rain as he removed his hoodie, wincing at the slapping sound that erupted from the now heavy material as a result of it landing in the strangers sink.

Sans then unbuckled his pants, making a motion to remove the now far too tight fabric only to blink in alarm as the man from before re-entered the room and almost dropped the set of clothing in his arms upon seeing the now half naked man in his bathroom. "... I-I... Um, just brought you some clothes..."

The second the taller noticed the other was almost naked he averted his gaze with a hue of red now painting his cheeks as he blindly sat the clothing on the closed toilet seat before blinking in some form of realization as he slowly looked back down at Sans' form with downcast and worry filled eyes. "... Are you alright...?"

"ya?" Sans responded in confusion before following the taller's line of vision and shaking his head upon realizing that the man was looking intently at his plethora of scars. "oh. ya, these are kinda old."

"... Your wrist..." A blue orb looked at the stated appendage before quickly hiding his still bleeding wrist behind his back, not wanting anyone to see what he had done to himself as he simply shrugged his shoulders once again with a smile.

"heh. guess my arm rubbed against the wall a little too hard." The taller didn't look as though he believed Sans' poorly thrown together lie, but the shorter didn't blame him as he sneezed once again and rubbed the top of his foot over the back of his calf.

"... I will leave you to shower... Please take your time..." The man, who's name Sans still wasn't aware of, then left once again. This time the red haired male shut the door behind himself as the injured male finally removed the rest of his clothing and quickly turned on the shower, waiting a few moments for the water to get warm before stepping into the tub and closing it's curtains as to not soak the tiled floor.

As the short males eye looked down at the stream of water that ran down his form, he couldn't help but mumble out a curse as the liquid mingled with his blood and drained down the hole engraved into the floor in a spiral, stinging his open wounds as the warmth sunk into his skin. He ignored the small annoyance as he grabbed a bottle of shampoo, chuckling at the picture of an cartoon flame on the container as he then squeezed a good dollop of the thick gel into his hands and began rubbing the foam into his hair.

It smelled just like the man did, Sans mused as he rinsed his hair and almost screamed as the cleanser product landed on his wrist and burned into the cuts that lined the pale flesh. He had no one to blame but himself for the pain however, so he simply bit his bottom lip to stifle any noises of discomfort as he quickly finished washing himself. Once free of any suds, he then turned the facets off and stepped out of the shower, immediately wrapping himself in the offered towel and drying his form with the plush material.

"gross..." The male mumbled out loud as he caught a glimpse of his form in the mirror, only to quickly divert his gaze onto the clothing set out for him in favor of not hating himself any further. Sans roughly ran the towel through his locks before setting the item into the bin placed in the corner of the room before grabbing the far too large set of grey track pants and throwing them on, securing them in place around his hips by tying it's drawstring into a bow before grabbing the baggy white t-shirt and throwing that on as well.

These clothes were beyond comfortable, Sans thought with a smile as he hugged his stomach and then left the washroom. It was easy to pin-point which direction to go as a soft hum of music was sounding from only one location, so Sans wasted no time in following the noise and shyly entering the room that the sound was erupting from.

The man from earlier was sitting on a sofa with a large white box placed in front of him, eyes going over the containers contents before locking onto Sans' own and smiling as the shorter simply stayed rooted by the door. "... Hey there... Why don't you have a seat...?"

"k." Sans spoke softly as he walked to the sofa and did as commanded, watching as the taller then got up and walked into another room, only to emerge a few moments after with a mug in one hand and a plate in the other.

The ginger haired man set the plate down on the table and handed the mug directly to Sans, who clasped the cup between both of his hands with a thankful smile. "... Once you are done... I'll dress your wounds..."

The shorter simply nodded as he sipped on the hot beverage, licking his lips at the sweet taste and smiling in joy as the beverage left the flavor of chocolate on his taste buds. The taller smiled himself upon noticing how much the short character enjoyed the drink as he leaned forward and grabbed the plate that was adorned with a burger and plethora of fries. "... Here..."

"thank you." Sans smiled widely as he took the offered food and set the plate onto his lap, practically drooling as the scent of the greasy items hit his senses. "why... are you being so nice to me?"

The man was silent for a moment as he leaned back against the couch and crossed his legs together. "... I have no reason not to be nice to you... Besides, I liked your joke earlier..."

Sans snorted softly at the joking tone as he blinked softly and looked up at the taller once again. "what's your name?"

"... Grillby... And yours...?" Grillby, Sans said mentally as he smiled and nodded at the name.

"mines sans. s'nice to meet you, grillby." The cook couldn't help but blush as his name was spoken in the others deep baritone, the taller then coughed into his hand to try and vanquish the hue of red that now tinted his cheeks as he nodded in agreement.

"... The pleasure is all mine..." The two then shook hands briefly with smiles adorning their features as they then went into a comfortable silence while Sans finished his drink and meal, making noises of pleasure with every bite he took of the food and fueling Grillby with both pride and nerves at the noises.

It didn't take long for the shorter to finish the greasy items and then lick his fingers to try and savor the meal even longer, making Grillby chuckle at the action and Sans to blush once he realized just what he was doing. His hands were quickly thrown into his lap in embarrassment as the taller grabbed his now empty plate and set it on the table, reaching inside the large white box on the table after doing so.

Grillby pulled a roll of gauze and a bottle of rubbing alcohol out of it's confines quickly before turning on his side and fully facing Sans, smiling as the shorter realized what the taller wanted and presented his wrists to the glasses wearing man without question. The bar owner sighed softly at the obviously self inflicted wounds, but didn't bother commenting on something so personal as he simply dampened a cotton ball in the alcohol and dabbing it on the wounds with a smile of apology as he noticed the look of pain that Sans was now trying to hide.

"... Sorry... It will only sting for a moment..." Grillby attempted to reassure the other, who smiled shakily in turn as the larger male then started to wrap a white bandage over his now clean wrist, eyes roaming over the shorter's form to see if there were any other fresh wounds that needed to be cared for before landing on the white bandage that covered Sans' eye. "... That is soaked... I should switch it..."

"no!" Sans spoke loudly before coughing into his hand and shaking his head, smile still glued onto his face as he looked into Grillby's now wide orbs. "s'ok. it'll dry."

"... Sans, if you leave it... It could get infected..."

"but... ok." The shorter finally conceited as he nodded for the other to continue, eye clenching shut in order to not see the look of disgust that he was sure covered his new friends features as he simply waited for Grillby to finish.

There was a small gasp of shock that erupted from the taller's mouth upon removing the soaked bandage, but that was the only noise he made as he did his best to clean the water logged socket before placing a clean square of gauze over the empty hole and keeping it in place with a few strips of medical tape. Once done, the ginger gently patted Sans' shoulder and smiled once his orb re-opened and landed on his own.

The two simply locked eyes with one another for a moment of silence before Grillby looked away with a blush, running a hand through his locks with a smile as he then checked the time and stood up. "... It's getting rather late... You can sleep in my room..."

"no, that's ok... i can just sleep in a corner. or outside." Sans said quickly with a shake of his head. "i don't wanna intrude any further."

"... Don't be silly..." Grillby smiled as he gently took a hold of the shorter's hand, blushing once more at the feeling of Sans' small hand pressed against his own. "... You are not intruding on anything... I enjoy your company after all..."

"i..." The white haired male blinked in shock at the statement before looking down at his feet, following Grillby and allowing the other to hold his hand as they walked. "thank you, grillby. for everything."

"... No thanks are necessary... Now, you need some rest..." Grillby spoke happily as he led the injured character into his room, gesturing at the large bed before making a motion to leave, only to stop as Sans' hand gripped his own even tighter and stopped him from moving. "... Are you alright...?"

"where are you gonna go?"

"... I'll sleep on the couch..." The taller answered, only to cock his eyebrow up in confusion upon seeing the other shake his head.

"the beds pretty big." Sans attempted to hint as the cook was now the one to wear a look of confusion. "i'm sure we can both fit."

"...Oh!" Grillby blushed widely at the suggestion, shaking his head however as he gently removed his hand from the shorter's own. "... I don't want to make you nervous... I'm quite alright with sleeping on the couch..."

"but that's not fair. it's your bed." Sans attempted to reason with the home owner as he reached out to grasp at the bulky mans shirt, not wanting him to leave before a compromise was met.

"... If it will make you feel better..." Grillby finally muttered, only to stare with wide eyes at shorter males face as it lit up in joy at having won the taller's mind over. He was adorable, the bar owner thought with a frown as he patted Sans' head. Sleeping in the same bed as him probably wasn't a smart idea, but the ginger didn't wish to sadden his newly acquainted friend as he gestured for him to get comfortable while he himself grabbed a pair of pajamas before moving into the bathroom to change.

Once adorned in a fresh pair of pajama bottoms and no shirt, Grillby moved back into the bedroom and smiled for what felt like the hundredth time that day as he saw Sans cuddled into his bed with the black sheets wrapped around his form, eye looking up at Grillby in mirth as the taller chuckled and turned the lights out. He then crawled into bed himself and attempted to stay as close to the beds edge as possible in order to not touch the adorable figure to his right.

The ginger just prayed that the shorter didn't do anything to aggravate his wounds throughout the night. Or worse, Grillby did something in his sleep to hurt Sans. The thoughts that seemed to of gone on for a good twenty minutes, keeping the home owner up, halted in their tracks as he felt a small arm wrap around his chest before a warm body pressed against his side with a soft snore erupting from the smaller man while doing so.

This was going to be a long night, Grillby thought to himself as he gripped the sheets under his form in an attempt to keep his hands to himself and not on the others soft skin.

A very long night.

\------------------------------------------------------

Papyrus allowed a stray tear to leak from his wide and red rimmed orb as he continued to drive down the streets, eyes darting all around as he looked for his missing friend in silence. He had been searching ever since the early morning for the injured male, and as he looked down at the time on his cars radio, he couldn't help but groan in anger as he realized it was nearing midnight.

Sans was probably lost, cold, and hungry. He thought through gritted teeth as he steered onto a more deserted road and continued looking around. The other characters who were assisting Papyrus with the search had messaged the officer an hour or so ago saying they would start the search back up in the morning, as looking around at night was dangerous and they were tired.

That honestly made the blonde a little angry as he sighed upon noticing he was running out of gas. His glove clad hands turned the steering wheel so that the vehicle moved to the nearest gas station, mind still racing on where Sans could of possibly gone. Like his friends had said, it was dangerous at this time of night, and the last thing that the cop wanted was for the single eyed male to be alone during this time.

"FUCK..." Papyrus groaned out as he topped up his tank and payed at the machine, eyes taking in the group of knife wielding men across the street in anger. He needed to find Sans. And he needed to find him soon.

With the thought of the twenty year old running into someone dangerous, Papyrus quickly got back into his car and ignored his growling stomach as he continued his search. He didn't have time to eat, not when the already injured male was at risk of being hurt as so many dangerous characters roamed the streets at night. At this point he was contemplating making up some missing posters as he drove slowly down the same street he had just moments ago.

He had no where else to look though, he thought in a panic as he pulled his badge out of his glove box and set it on his lap. Just in case he met with anyone suspicious who may have some knowledge on his friends whereabouts. Which was unlikely, but at this point the cop was willing to try anything.

Alas, that would be a breach of protocol if he didn't have a reasonable reason to interrogate someone. And them simply looking shifty wasn't enough to warrant a police investigation, regardless of his reasoning for doing so. That thought caused the officers frown to downcast even further as he gripped his steering wheel tightly and finally pulled over in order to smack his forehead against the wheel and scream into it's hard surface.

This was all his fault. If he had simply kept a better eye on Sans he never would of left. Hell, the blonde thought in self loathing, if he was a good friend Sans wouldn't of wanted to leave in the first place. Papyrus had tried his hardest to give the injured man a safe home, but he had obviously failed in doing so if the single eyed man was more willing to risk getting stabbed on the streets than staying with the Dreemur's for another night.

The blonde hiccuped as he covered his eyes with the palms of his hands, soaking the material of his gloves as an onslaught of tears poured from the orbs as he silently cried in his car. The teenager could stop himself as he hands removed themselves from his face and slammed against the steering wheel in a burst of explosive anger.

His breathing sped up as he continued to smack his appendages against the wheel before his body grew tired and simply flopped back into his seat, eyes looking up at the cars ceiling lazily as he sniffed and wiped his eyes.

This wasn't helping.

If anything, he was wasting time that could of been spent looking for Sans while having his little hissy fit. Papyrus inhaled sharply at that thought as he hovered his foot back over the gas peddle and made a motion to press down on the item before stopping in his tracks as a familiar head of hair met his eyes and caused the blonde to blink in confusion as he rolled down his window. "DOCTOR GASTER?"

The man jolted at the sudden call, two different colored orbs darting around until landing on Papyrus' own in shock. The elderly man seemed just as surprised to see Papyrus as the officer did seeing him as the raven haired man walked up to the teenagers car and smiled down at him. "Papyrus. What are you doing at this time of night?"

"I'M STILL LOOKING FOR SANS. I WON'T REST UNTIL I FIND HIM." Papyrus spoke confidently as the man simply grinned at the reasoning for a reason that the cop wasn't aware of. "WHAT ABOUT YOURSELF?"

"I am doing the same thing myself. I just couldn't go home with the thought of someone potentially being hurt hanging over my head." The man explained himself, making the surprisingly taller male cock an eyebrow in confusion and suspicion.

"BUT I THOUGHT DOCTOR ALPHYS SAID YOU HAD GONE BACK TO WORK?"

"I simply told her that so she wouldn't worry about me walking around at this time of night." The blonde nodded at that, believing the mans statement immediately as both his adoptive parents had been very against Papyrus being out as well. And he had both a gun and a taser on his person. "But this Sans character must mean a lot to you if you are looking this intently for him."

"HE MEANS THE WORLD TO ME." Papyrus confessed, making the currently standing mans eye twitch sharply before he shook his head and threw a smile on his face to mask the sudden spasm before the officer could notice.

"I see..." The scientist started before leaning against the car. "Would you mind if I assisted you in your search then? Two sets of eyes are better than one after all."

Papyrus smiled himself at the prospect of help as he nodded and gestured for the older to get into the passenger seat, which the man did quickly before buckling himself in place and waiting for the officer to resume his journey in finding the missing man. The officer may be good at his job, but one of his faults has always been that the blonde was too trusting.

Which, the doctor thought with a sly grin as his hand itched towards the syringe in his pocket, would only serve to be the younger's downfall in the end.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Tbc.

I'm trying to push out chapters for you guys so I can finish this story by the end of the month :) I'm going in for surgery in April so I won't have anytime to write anything for a good month so I don't wanna make you guys wait that long!~ 

But thank you all so much for reading this story! I really appreciate it!~


	9. Everything Escalates Far Too Quickly

A sneeze is what pulled Sans out of his comfortable slumber as his body jolted at the action and made him bring a small hand up to rub at the now damp surface under his nose, cleaning the skin before cracking a large blue orb open and blinking in shock at the foreign surroundings. The room however was the least of the mans concerns as he noticed he was currently laying on the chest of someone who very clearly wasn't Papyrus.

The thoughts were halted however when Sans remembered just what had occurred the night prior, and made him blush gently as he sat himself up and noticed in embarrassment that Grillby was wide awake. "... mornin."

"... Good morning..." The man spoke with a small grin upon noticing the smaller's strive as he attempted to dislodge himself from the home owners form. Once off of the man, Sans quickly huddled into himself and scratched a hand through his head, chuckling nervously as the broader man sat himself up and kicked his feet off of the bed. "... I'll get breakfast started..."

"o-oh. do you want help?" Sans asked with a small smile as Grillby simply shook his head and didn't bother with grabbing a shirt as he quickly left the room, leaving Sans on his own as the snow haired man blinked in shock at how abruptly the man had left.

He had probably already over stayed his welcome, the injured male thought with a small sigh as he got up and walked himself down to the taller's kitchen, blushing as he watched the taller's bare back as he prepared something over the stove top. Sans quickly cleared his throat to get the others attention, only to become speechless when the bartender finally turned around and allowed the shorter full visual of the cooks toned body.

"... Yes...?"

"u-uh... i was just wondering where my clothes are? so i can go." Sans asked after a quick shake of his head to try and ignore the Adonis like figure that was currently preparing him eggs. "wouldn't wanna impose on you any longer."

"... Nonsense... You aren't imposing on anything... Sit..." Grillby demanded in a soft tone, not forcing the shorter to do anything but he still wasn't about to let the injured male leave so soon and with so many wounds still fresh on his skin. Such an act would be asking for the single eyed mans demise, and the bar owner wasn't about to let such a thing happen if he could help it. "... Do you drink coffee...?"

"no! uh," Sans cleared his throat with a sheepish smile at the sudden outburst, sitting himself down as instructed. He didn't wish to argue on if he was allowed to leave or not, as confrontation wasn't exactly his strong suit. "i'm alright. thank you though."

The red head cocked an equally as red eyebrow up in confusion at the odd and defensive tone but didn't voice his concerns as he simply poured a pitcher of orange juice into a clear glass and set it on the table, setting aside his own coffee after doing so to allow the drink time to cool as he then quickly moved back to the stove and finished with what he was preparing. The two shared a somewhat awkward silence during this time as neither man could think of anything to say at the moment that could possibly help make the situation less foreign to them.

So they simply focused on their own thoughts as the popping on the stove top filled the void of silence. Sans slowly rimmed the top of his glass with the tip of his finger as his eye locked onto the ceiling, the blue orb taking in every bump and oddly placed scratch on it's surface in contentment before a small clinking sound startled his mind back into gear and jolted his head down to look at the table which was now adorned with both a plate in front of his form as well as another in front of the now seated cook.

There was also a moderately sized basket of biscuits in the center of the furniture, the bread still steaming in a way that made the shorter's mouth water and Grillby to chuckle softly before gesturing for the male to help himself.

Sans did so without complaint, humming a quick noise of thanks at the taller through a mouthful of perfectly cooked dough before digging into his meal. The twenty year old took small sips of his drink to wash down the greasy items before quickly plunging back into his breakfast, making the man seated across from him smile widely at the joy that it brought Sans from simply eating his meal. It was adorable, the elder thought with a sigh as he ate his own meal with far more grace, but more than anything it was a rather big compliment.

Not too many people aside from his normal bar flies tended to like his cooking after all, most people complaining that it was too greasy and gross, but this short and white haired male seemed to be in heaven as he shoved another bite of bacon into his mouth, moaning in pleasure all the while. The noises were something that Grillby could do without, as he was simply thankful for the fact that the table decorated with their food was covering him from the waist down.

Hell, the bartender thought through a sip of coffee as his eyes still remained firmly locked on the injured character across from himself, he was thankful that Sans hadn't noticed his morning wood when he had woken up. Not as though the older could help it as he had woken up with the shorter's adorable and drool covered face pressed into his chest with the rest of Sans' lithe form pressed into his own.

The bartender was ashamed to admit that he may of felt the others backside briefly during their small cuddling encounter, but no one but himself would ever know such a thing.

"this is really good." Sans commented softly, bringing the others train of thought to a halt and direct his forest green eyes onto the others own sky blue orb. "you should make a living out of this."

"... I do... I own the bar downstairs..." Grillby responded with a smile as the others head gently tilted to the side, making the taller smile a little wider at the cute display of confusion. "... What...?"

"what's a bar?" Sans asked softly, almost as if he was ashamed to ask as the glasses wearing male made his own noise of confusion.

"... You don't know what a bar is...?"

"there are... gaps, i guess, in my knowledge. heh." The deep voice responded as he sat his fork onto his plate and linked his fingers together on top of the table. It was a nervous habit that Sans hadn't realized he had. Usually he simply rung out the bottom of his shirt, but he didn't wish to wrinkle the tallers attire. "i'm not really smart when it comes to a lot of things. sorry."

"... Don't apologize... A bar is simply where people can come for drinks and alcohol..." Grillby explained slowly, not wishing to make the other feel like a child as he spoke but not wanting to use any complicating terms either. This well of confusion was quelled when Grillby's mindset landed on how he wasn't exactly sure how old Sans was. Judging from his face alone you would assume the injured man was in his young teens, but hearing his voice made the taller think he was older.

Either way he was scared to find out, as he felt like he would still like Sans even if it turned out with the snow haired male being under age. Which was wrong on a very many number of levels. "... It is like a restaurant but less high classed... I suppose... You need to be a certain age to come in though..."

"oh ya? how old do you have to be?" Sans asked in oblivion at the others hint, sipping on his citrus filled beverage while locking eyes with Grillby.

"... You have to be 19... " The man stated with a set of squinted eyes, watching for Sans' answer.

"cool. i can come in then." The shorter noticed with a smile, unbeknownst to him, but making Grillby's heart relax all the while. "but i'm not a huge fan of alcohol."

"... You have tried it before...?"

"heh. ya. it uh, didn't turn out that well." The deep voice mumbled with a downcast eye, hoping the taller would get the hint on how he didn't wish to explain himself any further. Thankfully the older man was pretty observant when it came to reading peoples emotions, having gotten used to both subtle and obvious hints after spending years being surrounded by drunks.

"... I see... But bars also have food... And good company..." The bar owner himself continued on as he watched the shorter's thin appendage comes into view and scratch at the pale mans face, where a barely visible trace of pearly white scruff was growing. "... What about you though... Where do you work...?"

"i don't." The blue eyed jokester responded with a shrug as he sat back into hi seat, fingers moving down to rub against the underside of his chin in an attempt to quell the odd and unfamiliar itch. He hadn't exactly shaved for awhile after all, and Papyrus had allowed him access to a razor ever since he left the hospital. "i'm not allowed to leave the house."

That made the others eyebrows shoot up in alarm as his hands gripped the still warm mug tightly in his grasp, mind immediately darting towards the worst case scenario for such an exclamation. "... And why would that be...?"

"cause my daddy might find me again." The shorter spoke softly and honestly, but it only served to confuse the taller even further as he clenched his hands into fists.

"... Would this... 'Daddy' character... Hurt you...?" Grillby spoke even slower than usual as to not startle the shorter male, but Sans only shrugged in a way that answered the taller's question without having to use any words. "... Is... That why you ran away...?"

"no, no. i ran away cause i didn't want to bother papyrus anymore." Sans started with a small twitch of his ever present smile, but it was quickly masked by a shake of the head. "he saved me from my dad. but i was being a nuisance."

"... I doubt that... But when you say Papyrus... Do you mean the police officer...?" Once asked, Sans couldn't help but blink in alarm before nodding his head frantically.

"you know him?" The twenty year old didn't wish to sound too optimistic as he reminded himself that he would never see the blonde again, and thus thinking about him was pointless.

"... He is usually the one to come when a fight gets out of hand..." Grillby spoke in one fluid sentence as Sans nodded in understanding.

"ya. he's really cool."

The ginger didn't like the glint of joy that filled the younger's eye during his statement of praise. But the bartender wasn't going to pay the nasty thoughts in his brain any mind as he shook his head and sighed softly. "... He is... But how did he simply let you leave so abruptly...?"

"he um..." A small hand moved to rub against the back of a curly head of hair in a sheepish fashion. "he didn't. he doesn't even know that i left. well, he probably does by now."

"... You know... He is probably very worried... Right...?"

"...ya. i know. but he'll be thankful later on." Sans shrugged once more lazily, wishing nothing more than for this conversation to end. "grief only lasts so long."

"... In some situations, yes... But for all he knows... You have been hurt... Or killed..." The statement was blunt and had no traces of sugar to coat it's straight forward point. Grillby felt bad as the shorter hunched into himself and thought on his words.

It wasn't as though the mans words were meant to be hurtful, that Sans knew as he bit his bottom lip with the realization that he had in fact left his home far too abruptly. There was no doubt in the injured males mind that his friend was looking for him and would never be able to find him where he was currently.

It caused a swell of guilt to form in the mans chest as his eye squinted shut. "i... i'm an asshole."

"... No, you are altruistic... You put the potential happiness of Papyrus above your own... Even though such actions have left you homeless and without any way of caring for yourself..." Sans simply snorted out a laugh in turn, not believing the man for a second as he got out of his chair and looked back up at his newly acquainted friend.

"no. i made papyrus worry. i... i need to apologize." Sans said hurriedly and confidentially as Grillby simply nodded in turn with a soft smile. The man took a moment to put the dirty dishes into the sink before turning back onto his heel and gesturing for Sans to follow him back into the bedroom, where the older man wasted no time in going to his closet and grabbing two sets of clothing.

One was a fully comprised suit, minus the blazer, while the other was a simple white hoodie with a pair of black tights. It was the only thing that the tall and broad man owned that could possible fit his guest.

So with that the man handed the shorter the clothing before walking into the bathroom and allowing Sans free roam to change in his bedroom. Once alone, Sans let his mind relax slightly as he removed the borrowed clothes currently adorning his body in favor of changing into the fresh material that had been provided for him. The tights hugged his but and legs in a way that made the shorter blush slightly, but he chose to pay it no mind as he threw on the large sweater. The top portion of his clothing was a lot more favorable as he huddled into it's safe feeling cotton.

"... Are you ready...?" Sans turned back around at the sound of the taller's now familiar voice, smiling softly and nodding in confirmation before cocking an eyebrow up in thought.

"do you know where papyrus is?" The shorter started sheepishly as he ran a hand through his disheveled locks. "i may of forgotten how to get home... wasn't really paying attention to where i was going."

Grillby simply nodded in both confirmation and understandment as he then gestured for Sans to follow him once more, only stopping at the front door so he could put on his leather bound shoes, and Sans to borrow a pair of Uggs that the bartender wasn't even aware that he owned. "... Do they fit...?"

A quick nod was the answer before Sans looked up and smiled his thanks at the taller, making the ginger blush softly before coughing into his hand and unlocking the door that led to the taller's workplace. The two quickly darted through the establishment and onto the empty and chilly streets outside, Sans immediately wrapping his arms around his shoulders and hugging his form tightly in order to retain as much heat as possible. Grillby on the other hand didn't seem bothered in the slightest by the temperature as he quickly led the shorter to a sleek black vehicle, this one differing from Papyrus own greatly, Sans noticed with a smile as he got into the jeep and buckled himself in.

The taller got in as well and took a moment to shuffle through his pockets contents before grasping onto the vehicles keys and gently shoving the metal into the cars ignition, firing the more boxy mode of transportation to life and making the shortest of the two grasp at his seat belt in fear of the loud sound. Only when Sans realized he was safe did he allow his hands to relax in his lap as the other firmly grasped the steering wheel and drove away from the bar.

Sans kept a keen look out this time at his surroundings as he didn't wish to make the mistake of getting lost again, only for him to furrow his brows in confusion upon realizing everything looked familiar. Either he was walking in circles last night, or this town had very set in stone architects. No matter, he thought idly as he made a map in his mind of exactly which streets they were taking and which of said streets had any alley ways that needed to be avoided. His past experience with such locations weren't exactly favorable after all.

"... We are almost there..." Grillby informed the other softly as he turned onto a more busy road. His mind was far less concentrated than the man in the passenger seat as he couldn't help but feel desolated upon realizing that this could very well be his last encounter with Sans.

The thought was upsetting to say the least, but the bartender wasn't exactly one to go down without a fight. If Sans was confined to his home, for reason the bartender still wasn't completely aware of, then he would simply find an excuse to visit.

"huh. pap's car is gone." Sans noted under his breath as they pulled into the homes large driveway, Grillby putting the vehicle in park but not removing his key as he smiled down at Sans. "thank you... for everything. i really appreciate it. and i'll find a way to pay you back, i swear."

"... No need... I got to meet a wonderful person and a new friend... That is thanks enough..." The taller used a shred of the charm his female patrons were so keen on seeing as he leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on the shorter's knuckles. Sans blushed a bright blue at the action as he took his limb back and chuckled nervously.

"heh. um, cool." Was all the shorter was capable of saying as he inhaled deeply and unbuckled his belt, giving the taller one last look of gratitude before stepping out of the car and slowly making his way up the few porch steps, heart clenching in his chest in fear as he neared the door.

They were going to be so angry with him. He should never of left in the first place. This was a mistake. Maybe he could stay with Grillby until they calmed down.

The questions wouldn't stop as Sans stopped in front of the door and simply stared at the oaken surface, teeth grinding in pure fear as he sucked in one final breath and gave the door three sharp knocks before stepping back and gripping his sweater tightly. Sans didn't know what to expect at this point as he simply waited for someone to open the door and give him a good scolding.

It didn't take that long for someone to finally answer, and Sans didn't even get a chance to see who it was before his face was buried into a soft and squishy chest. "um... miss toriel?"

"Oh my goodness!" The woman cried as she held the shorter tightly, one arm wrapping around his upper body to hold him close as the other gently held the back of his skull. "Sans, my dear. I thought you had been hurt! Or worse!"

"sorry..." Sans mumbled as he kept his own arms limp at his sides. He wasn't exactly expecting such a warm greeting as the woman cried into his hair while sitting on her knees. It made the man all the more guilty at just what he had put these people through as the woman finally sniffed harshly and stood back up, smiling down at Sans while looking him over for any injuries.

Once no fresh wounds were spotted, the woman's face morphed into something more stern as she held the shorter's shoulders and made Sans gulp in fear. "Young man, what were you thinking?! You just left without saying a word! What if you had been kidnapped?!"

"i'm sorry. really, i didn't mean to upset anyone." The male attempted to explain as he finally heard Grillby's vehicle pull out of the driveway. The bartender wasn't about to leave without making sure his new friend and crush was in safe arms after all. "i honestly thought you would be happy. i mean, one less burden to deal with."

"Sans, why would you ever think you were a burden?" The large chested character asked more softly, only to receive a simply shrug in return as Sans' single blue orb locked onto his borrowed shoes. "My dear... You could never be a burden. What happened with Asriel was not your fault. And we are very lucky to have you in our home."

Sans didn't respond, making the taller sigh softly but not do anything further as she knew the younger's mental state wasn't exactly normal. It wasn't in any way his fault, but it was still aggravating when the injured male couldn't see a single one of his own positive traits. But Toriel knew that she, along with the rest of her family, would quickly break down that barrier and give Sans the chance to be nothing short of himself without fear of being ridiculed or hurt for doing so.

It would just take time. Lots and lots of time.

"Let's go inside, dear. The chill out here is far too much for my old bones." The mother attempted to joke as to lessen the darkened mood as she gently steered the shorter into the warm home with a gentle hold on his shoulder. Sans kept his eyes cast downwards as he walked into the familiar setting and kicked his shoes off at the door, only to wheeze in shock and pain as a small projectile was flung into his stomach.

The adult blinked in shock for a moment before locking eyes with a set of wide and brown orbs. "heya kid..."

The child didn't respond as their arms were currently wrapped around the taller's stomach, face portraying every emotion that it could as Sans sniffed softly and brought a hand up to the back of Frisk's head. The man then held the child close to his form as he fought off a cascade of his own tears until the younger finally calmed down and slowly got off of his body and allowed him to stand back up.

Toriel stood at the twos side with a waterfall of her own salt filled liquid covering her cheeks, the scene being too much for her fragile heart as she watched her youngest child begin chastising the now frantic man through a series of hand motions.

"i know... i know.. never again, i promise... yes, i am a butt face." Sans spoke through the shorter's motions, only to let out a small sigh as he gently took the child's hands into his own and smiled down at them. "i'm ok. really. and i'm sorry, frisk. i didn't mean to scare you..."

The brunette stared up at Sans with a stern frown, surveying his features for any traces of lying before nodding curtly and wrapping their arms around his form once more, only this time they let go fairly quickly before smiling up at their newly adoptive brother with a small gesture of 'I love you'.

"aw jeez. i love you too, kid." The older blushed as he ruffled the shorter's locks quickly before turning his attention up at Frisk's silent sibling, who had been watching the entire reunion unfold without a word. "chara..."

"Shut up. I don't want a single fucking word of apology, you twat."

"Chara!" Toriel protested as their son walked up to Sans, scoffing as the shorter simply grinned up at them with squinted eyes.

"you missed me." He said suddenly, making the other two occupants of the room snort in laughter as Chara's eyes widened. The eldest sibling opened their mouth in an angry fashion, only to close it quickly and breath through his nose.

"Ya. I did. So don't do that again, dumb ass." The tall male practically growled as Sans simply nodded, smiling all the while as the cherry cheeked teenager smacked him on the top of the head lightly before stepping back once again and allowing the shorter room to breath.

There was a moment of peace between the four, only broken as Toriel frantically pulled a phone out of her back pocket. "Oh my, I should really message Papyrus. He's been searching for you all night. I don't think he's even stopped to pee."

The elder attempted to make a joke out of the officers strife, but Sans couldn't help but buckle over just how heavy the guilt he was now carrying was starting to get. It would be impossible to hold in a few moments as she dialed in the blondes number before holding the electronic up to her ear. The other three were silent as they waited for Papyrus to pick up.

"Hello dear." There was a pause as the other presumable gave a greeting of his own. "I know Papyrus, but this is important. Sans came back-"

Toriel stopped mid-sentence before sighing lightly and taking the phone away from her face after a moment of listening to the cop speak, ending the conversation and smiling down at the awaiting characters. "He is on his way. He seemed very relived to hear you were back, so relieved in fact that he forgot his manners and hung up on me."

Sans chuckled softly at the statement, knowing that his friend was in for a good scolding of his own for doing such a thing to the lady that housed them. She wasn't exactly lenient when it came to manners after all, something that Sans had learned the hard way when he ate with his elbows on the table. And when he burped to make Frisk laugh. And when he asked if women needed boobs for anything other than show.

Not that he really blamed her for that last one. It was very rude, but he had honestly wanted to know. The answer however, made him wish he had never asked after finding out a baby could get nutrition from them.

"He should be here in a few moments. I couldn't get a location out of him, but I'm sure he will no doubt break a few laws to get here faster." Toriel spoke with both pride and anger as she moved deeper into the living room, watching as her children followed behind like a group of lost ducklings. It was understandable though how they would all be pretty on edge. Papyrus' reaction upon seeing Sans was hard to predict after all.

It seemed unlikely that the officer would react in anger or do anything to make Sans feel any more guilty, but after a whole night without rest of the blonde looking for the shorter, it was impossible to say anything for sure.

So the four simply sat themselves along the large sofa, Chara and Frisk cuddling close with the newly found male as their mother tapped away at her phone in order to inform all her friends and family that Sans was safe and back home. The responses were immediate as everyone had been incredibly worried about the man who was now currently blushing as Frisk sat on his lap and patted his hair like a dog. Chara was close to the mans side as well, with their arm flung over the back of the sofa, wrapping around Sans but not touching him as he simply watched the two smaller character interact with one another.

Once the mother was done informing everyone of the houses recent turn of events she pocketed the device and simply waited to see who would arrive first. Her money was obviously on her adoptive sons speed, but it wasn't as though Undyne and Alphy's lived very far.

"Where did you get those clothes?" Chara asked suddenly as they moved the arm that wasn't wrapped around her friend down to pull at the material of the shorter's leggings, letting it go quickly and chuckling as the older winced as it slapped back onto his skin.

"oh, grillby let me borrow them. he let me stay at his place last night." Sans explained as he slapped the taller's hands away from his pants. "he makes the best food."

"Grillby? Haven't heard of him." The brunette respond with a cock of his brow.

"he's nice..." Sans spoke softly as Chara made a loud and sudden noise of acknowledgement, startling the shorter and commanding his wide blue orb to lock onto the others own.

"You have a crush on him!"

"what's a crush?"

"You... Nevermind." The student chose to say in favor of explaining anything as they realized they couldn't exactly tease a man who was oblivious to most things.

"ok?" The shorter respond in confusion before simply shrugging and chuckling as the youngest in the room collapsed into his lap and buried their face into his stomach. It really was nice, how close Frisk had gotten to him, Sans thought with a soft smile as he ruffled the younger's locks. He never expected anyone to love him like the people in this family did.

He really took the Dreemur's for granted, the man frowned at the thought inwardly as he realized he never should of ran away. He worried the kindest people in the world because of his stupid mistake, but now he was promising himself to devote every second of his foreseeable future making it up to them. The thoughts were put on hold for the meantime however as everyone's attention was diverted to the front of the house, where the sound of screeching tires was erupting from.

There was then a large slamming noise, like that of a car door being forced shut, before the front door shot open and smacked against the wall. The action left a decent sized hole in the interior of the home where the doorknob crashed into, but that was ignored completely as the frantically moving officer took a quick glance over those in the room before sprinting over to Sans and grabbing him under his arms, lifting the shorter up and hugging the thin form close to his own.

Frisk made a small noise of complaint at the sudden mistreatment of their own person, but they didn't bother commenting on it further as they watched Papyrus cry into Sans' hair. The shorter didn't seem as though he knew what to do as he simply brought his arms up and gently rubbed the taller's back as the cop squeezed him tightly and sobbed loudly. "sorry... m'really sorry, paps."

"OH HUSH!" The taller shouted with a sniff as he kept the other in his arms, only pushing his face out of the older's hair in order to look into his eye. "I'M JUST BEYOND GLAD THAT YOU ARE SAFE, SANS! I WAS SO WORRIED!"

"heh. ya i'm ok." Sans responded softly as he wrapped his legs around the taller's hips for a bit more leverage. "i shouldn't of left."

"NO YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE! BUT YOU OBVIOUSLY HAD A REASON TO... SO WHY DID YOU LEAVE SO SUDDENLY?" Papyrus asked as he ran the hand that wasn't supporting the blue eyed man up into his snow white hair. "YOU COULD OF BEEN HURT, JUMPING OUT OF THE WINDOW LIKE YOU DID."

"i know... but i just thought it was for the best." Everyone's attention was peaked as Sans explained himself, eye cast downwards as a blue hue overcame his features in embarrassment. "i didn't want you guys to send asriel away because of me. and i heard... i heard him say how messed up i was-"

Sans noticed the taller's gloved hands seemed to almost tighten as he spoke, but the older wished to voice why he had left fully before allowing anyone else to speak. "so i assumed you guys wanted me gone, but didn't know how to tell me. when i left i ran into a group of teenagers, the same ones from when i drank the other day. they seemed like they wanted to fight but thankfully grillby saved me. he let me spend the night at his place and lent me these clothes."

"... SANS WE WOULD NEVER WANT YOU GONE." Papyrus responded after a moment in order to verify that the shorter was finished speaking. "YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO ME-US! YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO US."

There was a very bright hue of red on the officers face as he corrected himself mid-sentence, trying his hardest to pretend that he didn't slip up as he watched as Sans stared up at him with a wide orb. The twenty year old seemed to be thinking on what to say next as he pulled his bottom lip into his mouth and sucked on the skin, making Papyrus gulp gently as he quickly hugged the shorter close to his form once again and buried his face back into the soft locks. "I NEED TO SEND A PROPER THANK YOU GRILLBY'S WAY THOUGH. I'M GLAD HE GOT TO YOU BEFORE ANYONE ELSE DID."

"ya, he was really nice." Sans agreed with a small smile of his own as simply relaxed in the optimistic mans hold, not wishing to push him away or even ask for the blonde to lessen his vice grip in fear of upsetting the cop any further. Besides, he knew Papyrus would never hurt him intentionally, his emotions were probably just out of his control at the moment upon seeing his missing friend. "he made me food, lent me clothes, and let me share his bed..."

"THAT WAS VERY KIND OF HIM." Papyrus said through the flood of jealousy that filled his form upon hearing that the man in his arms shared a bed with someone else. Of course the officer knew that nothing sexual would of occurred between the two, Sans would of said something if it did Papyrus hoped, but it didn't stop the blonde from cursing Grillby in his mind for finding the frail character before he himself could. "OH, AND WHILE I AM AT IT I MAY AS WELL THANK EVERYONE WHO HELPED ME IN MY QUEST TO FIND YOU."

"who was that?" The shorter asked as he leaned back slightly in order to see the others face, honestly thankful that the taller allowed him the room to move as he was starting to suffocate in Papyrus' chest.

"WELL EVERYONE YOU KNOW THUS FAR HELPED, AS WELL AS DOCTOR GASTER- OH GODS! I COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT HE WAS IN THE CAR WITH ME!" Papyrus yelled suddenly as he planted a chaste kiss upon Sans' temple before setting him back into the couch and into the awaiting arms of both Chara and Frisk. The officer then turned on his heel and walked outside, only to make a noise of confusion before quickly re-entering the abode while scratching the top of his disheveled locks. "HUH. HE'S GONE. I WONDER IF HE HAD WORK TO DO OR SOMETHING."

"Most likely." Toriel chimed in with a smile. "That man is always busy it seems."

"gaster..." Sans mumbled to himself while the others continued speaking. That name held a certain meaning that the injured male couldn't quite place as he brought up a hand to chew at his thumbs fingernail. It was familiar.

But at the same time he couldn't pin point why. He couldn't of met this man after all, so unless he picked up the name from someone in this house, he honestly had no idea why his mind was screaming at him that he should know this character.

"-ANS?" The twenty year old blinked for a moment before smiling up at Papyrus, taking in the concern littered on the taller's face before speaking.

"sorry, spacing out. what's up?" Papyrus was silent for a moment as he surveyed his shorter companion before sighing and repeating his inquiry.

"I WAS SIMPLY ASKING IF YOU WERE ALRIGHT. YOU SEEMED... FROZEN."

"just thinkin. no need to worry." Sans shrugged lazily, even as the burning dread of the name 'Gaster' loomed over his head, warning him of something that the short male wasn't sure he could avoid as he watched Toriel exit the kitchen with a tray of mugs placed in her arms. Jeez, the single eyed male thought with a small frown, he didn't even realize she had left.

He must of been thinking a little too hard. And for all the pun loving man knew, he could of been over analyzing this. For all he knew, that name was common and he had heard it on the television before.

So for now Sans decided to try his hand at relaxing as he took the offered cup that smelled of herbs, pushing any other thoughts aside as he simply relished in the company he was given and spoke on how they were going to proceed as a family from here on out.

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A thumb was pulled out from between two rows of pearly white teeth, the nail attached to the appendage nothing more than a jagged and chipped bone after being assaulted by the man attached to the thin phalange.

Finally. Finally he had found his love. It had taken far too long, and he knew that luck happened to play a rather large part in it, but he didn't care. His son was just a simple and well thought out plan away, a plan that consisted of the elder man breaking a number of laws.

It would all be worth it though.

To have 'Sans' back in his arms was the only thing Gaster wanted as he pulled a key out from his back pocket and unlocked the door attached to his home. The second Papyrus had parked his car in the Dreemur's driveway the scientist immediately left. He needed supplies after all, and a more secluded location to keep his property so that it doesn't get stolen once again.

Maybe he would rent out a trailer and simply skip town. But then he wouldn't be able to work anymore, and he couldn't have that.

No, he needed to be smart about this. He needed to take what belongs to him back without drawing any attention to his own person while doing so. Which he why he knew exactly what he had to do.

Gaster needed to point the finger at someone else. He needed to make all eyes turn on someone else if he wanted to live in peace with his wife- his son. He corrected himself quickly with a shake of his head as he walked into his office and opened a rather large safe. A safe that was filled with weapons, money, and tranquilizers.

The doctor already had a ready to use needle in his pocket, but he needed much more if his plan was going to work out in his favor. He only had one chance at this after all, but he wasn't too worried as he stuffed a revolver into the back of his pants, concealing the weapon with his coat before stuffing a small yet strong rope in his pocket.

He knew that this would work. Papyrus seemed to of shown a great deal of love for his son after all, to a point where Gaster was sure that the officer was more than willing to do anything in his power if he thought it would keep the twenty year old man safe.

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Sans sighed softly as he rubbed his now sore arms gently, eye cast upwards at Undyne who had finally put the shorter down and was now yelling at him for worrying everyone so much. The man simply nodded along, apologizing every few seconds, as he waited for the woman to finish her rant as Alphys panicked at her girlfriends side.

The shorter lady seemed more interested in looking Sans over for any injuries, trying her hardest to get her partner to settle down as she tapped at random parts on the damaged males body before quickly asking if the action hurt. The two voices were starting to meld in the blue eyed males mind as he tried his hardest to focus on both at once. It wasn't working in his favor however, and Papyrus seemed to of noticed as he finally yelled for everyone to settle down, smiling down at Sans as the man in question sent him a look of gratitude.

"I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE BOTH WORRIED, BUT PLEASE CALM YOURSELVES." The officer stated firmly as Undyne held up her arms in surrender as Alphys stopped digging her pointed and painted nails into the now relived males side. "HE IS IN NO STATE FOR PEOPLE TO BE SCREAMING AT HIM, THANK YOU."

"I know, jeez. But come on Papyrus! This weenie worried the hell out of me!" The female officer protested as Sans huddled back into himself on the sofa, letting the taller characters speak as he simply turned his attention back to Frisk and smiled as they reacted so fondly upon receiving the brotherly figures attention.

The two then joked around with one another as if nothing had happened as the others in the house explained why Sans did what he did the night prior. The house slowly relaxed as Papyrus spoke, and eventually everyone was on the same page as they simply ordered dinner, Toriel being too exhausted from staying up all night in worry, and shared in one another's presence as they ate.

None of the characters in the room were aware that their night was going to take a turn for the worst, but they would soon be thankful for the moment of peace they were now sharing as it would be impossible to have any more in the future.

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Tbc.

I am so sorry for this awful chapter. I'll be honest, I was high as a kite for most of this.

I am also a little more swamped with medical stuff and work than I expected, and it's kinda making it impossible to focus on this story. Not making excuses, but I do wanna warn you guys that this may not be finished by the end of the month like I promised. I will do my best, but I can't be certain at the moment. 

But thank you to everyone who is sticking with me! I greatly appreciate the support!~


	10. Nearing The End

A shaking hand was shoved into a pocket hastily, blocking the small limb from the nights chilly air as the bandage covered male attached to the limb sat himself onto the porches steps, a trail of smoke catching his attention and prompting the bright blue orb to locate the source. Sans made a small noise of confusion upon noticing the white smog was erupting from a stick that was lazily placed between the character to his lefts lips.

"Don't tell anyone, you butt." Chara warned once he noticed the others attention, making the shorter snort and kick his feet out onto the step closest to the lawn.

"why? you breaking some rules over there?" The man asked with a hint of cockiness taking over his tone, the taller smacking his arm with a small smile etched onto their features at the unexpected response.

"I miss the shy Sans." The younger protested jokingly as the male in question laughed, his hand coming out of his pocket to cover his mouth and stop the snorts that threatened to escape his nose as the taller leaned to his left and swung an arm around his shorter companions shoulders. "Shy Sans wouldn't dare talk to me this way."

"he would also ask fifty questions in a row about what the hell that bugs doing over there. although, gotta say, this sans wants to know too." Chara choked on their cigarette inhale, coughing harshly as a result and squeezing the shorter even closer to his side. Sans simply smiled as the taller laughed loudly and watched with his single working orb as the brunette calmed them self down with a few stray hiccups.

"You little shit... Almost killed me." The cherry cheeked teenager spoke through their dramatic inhales for breath as the white haired man patted their back gently, not helping much but the action was still appreciated by the younger as he stubbed out his smoke onto the porches railing and cleared their throat.

"sorry, sorry." Sans apologized with a smile of his own as he watched his housemate flick the bud of the filter into a large bush, hiding the object from view and making the older wonder just how many cigarettes had been hidden back there over the years. "but isn't smokin' bad for you?"

"Yup. Which is why you aren't telling anyone."

"ok, but if you ever show lung problems i'm tellin." Chara looked like they were going to protest but their mouth eventually closed with a snap and a nod of agreement. He knew the shorter was simply concerned for their health after all, so they wouldn't bother fighting him on the topic. Instead they would tighten their arm around the shorter's neck and bring the mans head into their chest where the student then ruffled the chuckling males snow white locks.

"You're all the bad parts of a brother." The brunette joked as they finally let Sans go and watched as he lazily attempted to move his now ruffled hair back into place.

The two then shared a moment of silence as they watched the stars take form in the sky as the moon rose higher and higher above them, the streets silent as the clocks ticked closer to midnight with every second and encouraging everyone to turn in for the night. The characters on the porches family had also chosen to sleep a few moments prior, but after Sans had noticed Chara sneak out of the home he followed suit quickly, not wishing for the teenager to run into any trouble as he himself broke the one rule instilled on him in the home.

A yawn broke the comfortable silence as the two finally parted from one another and stood up, taking the loud breath of exhaustion as a hint that they too should head to bed as they re-entered the home, being sure to lock the door with all it's latches before walking up the steps and parting ways with a small fist bump and promise to see one another in the morning.

Sans allowed another yawn to break through his lips as he entered his own bedroom and rubbed at his eye, sniffing as he removed his sweater and simply threw the article onto the top of his dresser before discarding his tights onto the floor and face planting into the plush and unmade bed. The male brought his hands up to hug around his pillow with a large exhale of breath as he relaxed into the material while at the same time attempting to avoid all the dried drool marks on the thick items surface. A groan was pulled from the short males throat however as the small touch activated phone Papyrus had gifted him with earlier buzzed from the depths of his now discarded hoodies pocket.

It was a little odd considering only those in the house, with the exception of Undyne and Alphys, had his number. That bit of information didn't stop the man from leaning half of his form off of the bed in order to reach down to the discarded shirt and grabbing the article, only to quickly grab his cell phone from it's confines before throwing the dirty sweater back onto the ground lazily.

Sans then rolled onto his back and brought his phone up to his face where he noticed the usually perfect photo of Papyrus, Frisk, Chara, and himself was clouded by a notification bar stating that he had a new message. The male yawned loudly as his short thumb slid across the screen before tapping on a certain four patterned sequence of numbers, making his home page come to life with his photo of a newly purchased bottle of ketchup blind him for a moment due to it's vibrant color before he quickly pressed on the green and white texting icon in the corner.

The pun loving man hummed softly in confusion once the app was opened and an unknown number was presented to him, he took a moment to look over the sequence of numbers as if the random digits would help piece together who was speaking with him before realizing such a task was pointless and opening the message.

This wasn't in English, the man noticed immediately as he rolled onto his side and squinted his eyes at the phone. They were shapes, seemingly random, but Sans realized quite quickly that he knew this particular language and read off the greeting of 'Hello' in his mind before sniffing gently and closing the app.

Receiving a random message from an unknown person wasn't something Sans was going to test after all as he chose to simply ignore the greeting entirely. Sans hugged the pillow once again after bringing his blanket up past his head, cocooning himself in the thick sheet in an attempt to drown out the world around him as he attempted to sleep.

That seemed impossible however as his phone buzzed once again from it's new spot on the floor. A blue eye cracked open with a sigh as the short man clenched his hands even tighter around the head cushion, mind screaming at him to not check the phone at all as the font he had been sent kept his mind awake and incapable of sleeping.

He knew that language after all. And he didn't know much, so this was a little disconcerting as it made the injured character believe that his father had been the one to teach it to him. Which in itself was odd because Sans didn't recall such lessons, all he knew was that he could read the random icons that had been sent his way.

But that didn't mean that no one else knew of the language after all. And Papyrus had warned him earlier that sometimes people sent things to the wrong numbers, so the officer was sure to tell his older friend that he was to ignore anyone who wasn't already saved into the electronic. So Sans wasn't going to acknowledge that the constant buzzing was sounding from the carpet as he wrapped the pillow around his ears and groaned into the stuffing filled pad when he heard a different ringtone sound through the air, only this one was the default noise that told the man that someone was attempting to call him.

With that the twenty year old threw his blanket off and kicked his feet of the bed in one fluid motion before leaning down and grabbing the still chiming electronic. Sans sighed as he noticed that whoever was attempting to speak to him was the same character who had been texting him, making the snow haired male bite his bottom lip while making rapid glances at his door, as if he was expecting the figure on the other end to barge through and yell at him for not picking up.

"hello?" The male finally mustered up the courage to answer the device, pressing the cold machine against his ear and waiting for a response in slight aggravation. "... anyone there?"

The man whispered as quietly as he could as to not wake up anyone in the house as he blinked in shock as whoever was on the other end hung up, filling his ears with a low beeping noise before he sighed gently and pressed the large red 'End' button. The male then took a moment to check the other messages he had been sent, only for his hands to shake after translating the writing to a point where he could no longer keep a stable hold of the phone.

A soft thump echoed throughout the air as the device landed on the carpeted floor as two small and pale hands were brought up to the mans face, clenching tightly over his mouth as tears began pouring from his only functioning eye, trying his hardest to be quiet as he fell back onto his side and curled into himself.

What the man had just read wouldn't stop repeating in his mind like a broken record as he stifled his sobs by shoving his face into his pillow and soaking the item with his tears almost immediately.

His father was coming for him. And he could do nothing to stop the man if the threat that he had read moments prior was any indication as to how defenseless he was in this situation.

Because Sans would give himself up in an instant if it meant keeping his family safe.

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Papyrus smiled widely as he buttoned the last plastic circle on his bright red dress shirt, flattening the article immediately after with his gloved hands in an attempt to straighten out any wrinkles before checking his figure out in the mirror adjacent to his dresser with a nod of satisfaction. Today was a day the officer needed to look his best, he thought to himself as he sprayed his wrists with his most expensive cologne before rubbing the skin against his neck in order to spread the masculating scent.

One last look at himself prompted the teenager to give himself a wink of joking satisfaction before he inhaled sharply and left his room, legs taking him to the bedroom right across from his own without any direction. Papyrus stood still for a moment as he tried to relax his mind before he brought a black gloved hand up to knock against the wood sharply. The blonde exhaled into his palm after that and smelled the residue on his hand with a nod of satisfaction as he waited patiently for the short male in the room to answer the door.

It took a moment but eventually the white haired and very tired looking male opened the door and peaked half of his face out of the opening before he visibly relaxed upon noticing who exactly was summoning him. "GOOD MORNING, SANS!"

"mornin..." The older responded with a yawn, making the taller cock an eyebrow in confusion as he leaned down slightly in order to get a better look at Sans' features.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT? YOU LOOK LIKE YOU DIDN'T GET ANY SLEEP..." Sans simply shook his head with a smile as he rubbed the back of his head as his bare foot lifted to rub against the calf of his opposite leg.

"m'good. just didn't get much sleep. think it's this phone." The shorter attempted to joke with a wave of the electronic. "s'pretty fun to use."

"OH! WELL, THAT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. IT WAS YOUR FIRST NIGHT OWNING IT, AFTER ALL." Papyrus spoke with a smile, none the wiser to his friends mental skirmish with himself on whether or not he should tell the truth to the cop. But Sans knew that being honest with the teenager was something he couldn't risk.

"heh. yup." The shorter shrugged in return before blinking and looking the taller's form up and down, only now noticing just how well the blonde was dressed as his sleep deprived brain finally caught up to the visuals being presented to it. "what's with the get up, though? you going out?"

"WELL, I HAD HOPED TO ASK YOU ON... ON A..." The taller coughed into his hand as his cheeks inflamed in a bright red hue, making the shorter cock an eyebrow in confusion as he leaned against the door frame lazily and waited for Papyrus to finish his thought. "A FRIENDLY GET TOGETHER! YES, JUST ME AND YOU, BEING FRIENDS, AND GOING OUT SOMEWHERE!"

Papyrus panted softly after his outburst, eyes clenched shut as he waited for the shorter's response. The taller's features helped Sans mask his own look of shock and fear as his phone threatened to burn a hole through his hand with how heavy the messages inside of it weighted on the man. The last thing he wanted to do was put himself out in the open with only Papyrus by his side.

Not that he didn't trust the officer. Sans had full confidence in his friends physical abilities, but the older was also aware of how trusting the taller was and how easy it would be to get Papyrus to lower his guard.

Even if it was just for a moment, Sans knew that the second the blonde was relaxed that is when his dad would strike. Sans knew how smart his father was after all, and wasn't about to risk Papyrus' safety.

"um... like, outside? i thought you guys didn't want me to leave the house." Sans spoke slowly as the taller finally opened his eyes and smiled down at the scarred man, taking the others skepticism as a simple need to obey the rules of the house rather than him being scared.

"NO WORRIES, I SHALL BE BY YOUR SIDE THE ENTIRE TIME! I WON'T LET ANYTHING HAPPEN TO YOU." The blonde promised with a blinding smile as the other sighed gently through his teeth, not knowing how else he could keep the two inside as he finally shrugged before looking up into the tallers eyes with a smile of his own, only his was one of defeat.

"ok. sounds fun." The taller jumped in the air for a moment before clearing his throat and smiling down at his friend with red still tinting his cheeks.

"OH GOOD! I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD AGREE! I THOUGHT MAYBE CROWDS WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOUR FIRST OUTING, SO I RESERVED US A PRIVATE TABLE AT WATERFALL. THEN I THOUGHT MAYBE WE COULD GO TO THE BOOKSTORE AND PICK YOU OUT SOMETHING? I NOTICED HOW MUCH YOU LIKE READING SO... BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO SOMETHING ELSE THAN I AM OPEN TO ANYTHING!" Sans was honestly amazed by how the younger had gotten so many words out with only using one breath of air, but Papyrus was just thankful he could speak at all with how nervous he was.

"i'm down for anything. i um, don't really own anything fancy though."

"NO WORRIES AT ALL! I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE ARE LEAVING EARLY TO STOP AT A TAILOR. EVEN IF YOU AREN'T COMFORTABLE WEARING A SUIT, IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO OWN ONE."

"huh. well alright then. just give me a bit to get dressed and i'll meet you downstairs?" Papyrus nodded with a wide smile before turning on his heel and going to the requested location to wait for his companion to get ready.

Only the two parents were awake and were seated on the couch with cups of tea placed in their hands, attention immediately darting to the optimistic teenager as he skipped his way to the free love seat adjacent to their own spot. The two elder characters shared a look upon noticing their sons attire, and smiled slyly in understanding as they noticed the teenager was obviously waiting for someone in the house.

"So, you finally asked Sans out, didn't you?" Toriel asked with a hint of cockiness lacing her tone as Papyrus blushed and laughed at the seemingly crazy statement.

"WHAT? NO, NO. WE ARE SIMPLY GOING TO BE SPENDING A FRIENDLY AFTERNOON TOGETHER!" The tall male attempted to explain himself, stuttering all the while as his adoptive parents simply smiled in turn.

"No need to be embarrassed, dear. You two make a very adorable couple."

"MISS TORIEL!" The officer choked on his words as the two laughed at his expense, making him cross his arms above his chest as he huffed under his breath. "I AM NOT INTERESTED IN SANS. EVEN IF I WAS, HE HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH... I WOULDN'T WISH TO PUSH ANY BOUNDARIES."

That sobered the couple up as they simply sighed in understanding, they too being aware of how poorly their newly found housemate had been treated in the past and how they would all need to take smaller than small steps in getting Sans acquainted with today's social ques along with what was deemed right and what was considered wrong.

They of course, didn't blame the injured male in the slightest for having the mentality of a child in regards to street smarts. It wasn't his fault in the slightest, but they also didn't wish to offend the twenty year old by treating him like a kid. It was hard for the family, but Sans really did lessen the tension by joking and being positive in answering any questions they may have in regards to his situation.

But no one understood him more than Papyrus.

The cop had seen the pun loving man in the peak of his injuries after all, and was the first person in which Sans felt comfortable talking to. So the two wouldn't speak poorly on the teenagers choice to keep Sans as a friend, at least, until the man was comfortable with the idea of having a partner.

If Papyrus even mustered up the courage to ask him out by then,

"But where are you two off too?" Asgore piped up in an attempt to lessen the tension in the room as he sipped in his beverage and watched with a smile as the blonde told them what his plan for the day was. The married couple on the couch had to stop themselves from saying how their sons plan sounded a lot like a date in favor of showcasing their concern. "Are you sure he is ready for such things though?"

"I AM. I MEAN, SANS IS SMART AND ASIDE FROM THE OTHER NIGHT HE HASN'T BEEN OUTDOORS. I FEEL LIKE KEEPING HIM COOPED UP IN HERE WILL ONLY TRIGGER AN OPPOSITE REACTION AND MAKE HIM WANT TO LEAVE AGAIN. SO I WORKED OUT A PLAN WITH ALPHYS TO TAKE HIM OUT ONCE A WEEK UNDER MY SUPERVISION." The teenager started in a mature tone, reminded the two across from him once again that this character was an officer of the law. "ONCE WE FINALLY GET THE MAN WHO KEPT HIM PRISONER BEHIND BARS SANS WILL HAVE FREE ROAM TO VENTURE OUT WHENEVER HE PLEASES THOUGH. WELL, WITH A CURFEW OF COURSE. AND PEPPER SPRAY ON HER PERSON."

"That's a good idea, hun. I would personally get very suffocated if I had to be confined to the house all day. I can only imagine Sans' strife with his mind constantly wondering just what awaits him in this world." Toriel spoke softly as her hands wrung together, sympathy leaking from her every pore as she thought on just how keeping Sans prisoner here was wearing on the mans mental state. "Just be sure to keep an eye on him."

"DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT THAT. SANS' SAFETY IS MY HIGHEST PRIORITY!" The blonde spoke confidentially with both hands placed on his hips before allowing the limbs to simply fall limp at his sides when the object of his affection finally stepped out of his room and slowly climbed down the stairs.

The bandage covered male was only clad in a pair of tight light blue jeans and a bright pink hoodie, a rather simple outfit by any standards but Papyrus couldn't help but gawk as he realized that this adorable man was going to be spending the afternoon with him and him alone.

"hey." The older muttered through a yawn to the parents, who smiled in turn.

"Good morning, Sans. How was your sleep, hun?" The mother asked with gentle features as she watched the sleep deprived male rub at his eye.

"it was alright." Sans chose to say in favor of the truth as he knew that it would only cause concern, even if he just told them he didn't get much sleep and nothing else. "hungry though..."

"OH, WELL THEN LET'S HEAD OUT! WE CAN PICK UP SOMETHING TO EAT ON THE WAY TO THE TAILORS." Papyrus spoke with a smile after clearing his mind of his previous thoughts and swinging his arm behind the shorter male in order to lead him towards the door, where the taller quickly shoved his feet into his vibrantly red boots before setting Sans' pink sneakers onto the ground after removing them from their perch on the shoe rack.

"thanks." The shorter responded simply, a hint of remorse taking over his tone as he shoved his own feet into the items. The other three in the room noticed the desolate pitch, but it was ignored as they simply chalked up the short males attitude up to him being tired still.

"You two have fun, and be safe alright." Toriel started as she got up and grabbed the twos jackets, handing them to the men who were about to leave without adorning the thick material onto their figures. Papyrus at least had the courtesy to look guilty as he took the warm attire, while Sans simply yawned once again as he lazily shoved his limbs into the jackets sleeves. "Sans, you have your phone right dear?"

The snow haired male simply nodded in confirmation, eye still not locking onto anyone elses own as he pocketed his hands and then waited for Papyrus to finish getting ready before the two bid the smiling parents a brief farewell and then exiting the house.

Sans knew that he should tell his friend about what he had received last night, and that the two probably shouldn't be leaving the house given the fact that they could be harmed. But a small part of the male wanted to simply relish in the taller's presence for as long as he could before the inevitable happened.

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"WHAT A LOVELY DAY!" Papyrus shouted after a large inhale of the morning air, smiling widely as the weather forecast he had viewed earlier rang true with it's report. For that the officer was thankful as he didn't want something as trivial as rain to ruin his perfectly planned out day.

"ya." Was the simple response from the character to his left as the two made their way inside the younger's car, Papyrus giving the shorter constant glances as he realized Sans didn't seem to be in as high spirits at getting out of the house as the blonde had thought.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, SANS? YOU SEEM... UNHAPPY." The blonde inquired softly as he buckled his belt together after planting himself in the vehicles driver seat. "WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT TODAY IF YOU DON'T WANT TO."

"no, i do." Sans protested with a quick shake of his head, whipping his hair in every direction before he settled his skull against the back of the leather bound seat, hands linking themselves together on the pale mans lap. "i want to go out. i just... what if... what if he comes back?"

"NONSENSE! EVEN IF HE DID REAR HIS HEAD, I WOULD PROTECT YOU!" Papyrus spoke confidently, none the wiser to his companions hint of fear as he shoved his key into the ignition and looked back over at the passenger seat with a beaming smile, silencing the older's mental debate in the process. "I PROMISE SANS, YOU HAVE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT."

"...ok." And with that the two went into a comfortable silence as the taller drove onto the streets, turning the radio onto a random channel as well before allowing Sans to change the music to whatever he liked. The shorter did so in silence before settling on a soothing sounding station before leaning back in his seat and watching as the buildings and stores panned by. "is asriel still being sent away?"

Papyrus paused for a moment at the sudden question before sighing gently. "YES. BUT IT IS NOT IN ANY WAY YOUR FAULT. ASRIEL HAD BEEN MAKING POOR LIFE CHOICES EVER SINCE HE STARTED HIGH SCHOOL AND BOTH TORIEL AND ASGORE HAD GIVEN HIM MANY CHANCES TO REDEEM HIMSELF. IT'S NOT AS THOUGH HE IS LEAVING FOREVER, JUST FOR A SCHOOL YEAR."

"oh." Sans muttered out, slightly embarrassed at having thought that the young man was going to be sent away for life and exaggerating his role in Asriel's departure. "that's... good then."

"IT IS! AND WE CAN ALWAYS SPEAK TO HIM OVER SKYPE AND THROUGH LETTERS, SO WE CAN STAY IN TOUCH." Sans allowed himself to smile a little at that, happy that he hadn't completely ruined the families dynamic with his actions. "BUT REGARDLESS, THIS WAS ALL BOUND TO HAPPEN. HIM POTENTIALLY HARMING YOU WAS SIMPLY THE PUSH WE NEEDED TO GO THROUGH WITH THIS. BUT ASRIEL WILL COME OUT A BETTER PERSON BECAUSE OF THIS, DON'T YOU WORRY!"

"i'll try not to." The shorter mumbled out, eye downcast onto his interlocked hands as a small sigh from Papyrus filled the air.

"I UNDERSTAND THAT IT MUST BE DIFFICULT TO POINT BLAME AT ANYONE OTHER THAN YOURSELF, BUT I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT NO ONE ELSE HOLDS YOU AT FAULT. WE ALL LOVE YOU VERY MUCH, AND WE DON'T WISH TO SEE YOU HARMED." The officer started with a frown before shaking his head and smiling widely. "BUT THAT IS ALL IN THE PAST! FOR NOW, LET'S FOCUS ON THE FUTURE! WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO IN SOMEWHERE FOR BREAKFAST OR STAY IN THE CAR?"

"whatever you want, paps." The shorter responded with a shrug as the blonde puffed out his cheeks and glared slightly in annoyance at the now grinning male. Papyrus was happy to see his companion in higher spirits though, so he wasn't about to complain about his lack of decision making.

"WELL THEN, LET US GO INSIDE. I WOULD LIKE TO SAVE MY SEATS OF ANY STAINS IF POSSIBLE." Sans nodded in agreement as the taller then pulled into a small diner, parking the vehicle before smiling over at the man in his passenger seat in reassurance. "THIS PLACE IS MORE BUSY AROUND LUNCH, SINCE THAT'S WHEN THE OLDER PEOPLE TEND TO STOP BY. SO IT SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EMPTY."

The shorter nodded in thanks at having picked a location while keeping Sans' awkwardness in crowds in mind. The injured male appreciated it, and un-buckled his seat belt without hesitation as he then followed suit of the character to his left and exiting the car in silence. The two then took a small moment to make sure the cherry red mode of transportation was locked before entering the moderately sized establishment titled 'Muffets Diner'.

Papyrus was sure to walk a little faster than his friend in order to make it to the door before him and hold it open, smiling as Sans didn't comment on being treated like a woman as he simply entered the eatery and waited a moment until the taller once again walked ahead of him in order to greet the smiling waiter who was already in the process of grabbing two menus before the two males could even speak. "Good morning, gentlemen! For two today?"

Her cheery attitude could compete with Papyrus', but Sans saw through it in an instant. The woman, although smiling, wasn't actually happy as she spoke with the blonde on which seats they would prefer. Sans wasn't aware of just how he knew this, but he was one hundred percent sure that whatever mask that this lady was wearing was as fake as her glued on nails.

Which now that the snow haired male thought about it, wasn't exactly an unfamiliar feeling. Whenever he met anyone the bandage covered male tended to judge them right away and it seemed as though his early predictions always held true. He had known Papyrus was someone to trust, Toriel was kind and motherly, Asgore was very gentle and not as intimidating as he looked, the children were misunderstood, and Grillby was as kind to him as the officer currently leading him to a booth seat. It was odd, but the male wasn't about to mention it as for all he knew, everyone else had this skill and him voicing it would simply lead to the blonde speaking to him like a child.

Sans hated that more than anything. He knew that his brain wasn't exactly on par with everyone else in regards to common knowledge and street smarts, but the blue eyed man also knew that he wasn't stupid.

"WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DRINK, SANS?" The younger of the two asked, prompting Sans to blink wildly in alarm before realizing both his and their servers eyes were locked onto his figure, leading the short adult to believe that they had been trying to get his attention for awhile.

"i'm fine with anything." He responded with his usual smile as Papyrus sighed and asked for two waters and two glasses of milk. Once the woman had nodded in agreement with his choices she turned on her heel to prepare the beverages, leaving the two alone with the menus until her return. "there's some weird items on this menu."

"HM?" Papyrus himself took the others hint and browsed the large and laminated folder, blinking in realization however as his young brain kicked to life and reminded him that the snow haired male across from him had never been in a place like this before. "THE NAMES ARE JUST FOR FUN! THE ITEMS ARE LISTED UNDERNEATH, SO I'D JUST FOCUS ON THAT."

Ya, Sans thought to himself with a frown that was now hidden by his own menu, he got that. It wasn't as though he couldn't read, he simply wanted to point out how odd the names were considering the actual contents of the meal were rather simple. But as he mentally yelled at the male across from himself he sighed and threw on his smile in an attempt to relax. It really was nothing to get upset about, he didn't blame the orange eyed teenager for his actions as him being treated like an idiot was pretty common.

Maybe he could simply make everyone forget about his past. And as that thought flooded his mind he realized just why he was so on edge. The texts from last night and the threat of his father finding him hung over the short mans head with every second he spent in the open, and with every moment that passed Papyrus grew closer to being potentially harmed.

Sans really just needed to calm down, he thought to himself in third person before shaking his head and focusing solely on the list in his hands. He could just be hungry too. Either way, thinking about anything was pointless, he mused as he took a moment to look over at Papyrus and smile as he noticed the taller's view was already locked on his own.

Papyrus' face was plunged into a hue of red as his orbs darted back at the menu, making the shorter cock an eyebrow up in confusion before he simply shrugged and looked back down at his options for food. The blonde was probably sick of questions at this point, and his actions led Sans to believe that asking him why his face changed color would only embarrass the younger. Sans wasn't sure why, but again he was sure of his minds thoughts as his single pupil locked on the eatery's pancake selection. "can i have pancakes?"

"YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE!" Papyrus reassured him with a large smile as he folded his own menu and sat it onto the small wooden table. Sans took that action as a hint for him to hurry up as he glanced over the sheets once more before doing the same and placing his own borrowed item on the taller's.

The woman seemed to of notice the young men's actions as she walked back up to the table only a short moment after the two decided, a tray of four glasses placed in her left hand. She then used her right limb to set two beverages in front of either of the customers before throwing on yet another fake smile and grabbing a small notepad and pen from her dark purple apron. The lady, who's name was Spider #1 if the name tag was any indication, then waited as Papyrus began telling her what he wanted. Once done the lady looked over at Sans with blank eyes, making the man both nervous and curious as he cleared his throat.

"um, pancakes please."

"Alrighty, can do! Would you like any fruit or anything with that, hun? You look like you could use a couple pounds!" The oddly named lady asked as Sans glanced over at Papyrus, who simply shrugged with a smile.

"uh, ok. do you have bananas?" He asked, making the lady smile widely as she nodded and presumably wrote down his request.

"We sure do! Is that everything for you two today?"

"OH, CAN SANS ALSO GET A SIDE OF BACON PLEASE? AND THEN YES THAT IS EVERYTHING." Papyrus spoke politely as he then handed the black haired character the two menus, which she took with a nod of thanks before re-entering the back and disappearing from the twos view.

Sans allowed a genuine smile to plant itself on his features as he recalled that Papyrus hadn't made a decision for him in regards to his fruit choice. It was small and not something that should really fuel a lot of joy in someone, but for Sans it was a rather large step in reassuring himself that his past thoughts on the blonde thinking of him as a child were nothing more than his own mind being too paranoid.

Papyrus seemed to of noticed the look as he once again downcast his eyes, cheeks flushed in an even brighter red than before as Sans promised himself to ask maybe Toriel about why he did that later on. He wanted to know after all, and it's not like he could simply type in his question and get an immediate response whenever he wanted.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once breakfast had been devoured and the bill was payed, the two men found themselves back in the officers car. The music was low as they spoke more cheerily with one another, in much better spirits after finally eating that day.

"SO I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD WARN YOU OF JUST WHAT GOING TO A TAILOR MEANS," Papyrus started as he stopped at a red light, giving himself an opportunity to give his now more relaxed companion a glance. The officer wasn't sure of the olders internal strife, and simply chalked his now more upbeat mood to him being a character who gets moody when hungry. "THERE WILL BE A MAN, A VERY NICE MAN, THERE WHO WILL NEED TO TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS. AND HE WILL HAVE TO TOUCH YOU TO DO SO..."

"that's fine." Sans shrugged softly, cheek pressed against his window as he simply watched with his one orb as unknown buildings and people came into view. "s'not like anything with happen. you'll be there."

The injured male spoke with no hesitation as the blonde to his side tensed up slightly. They had never voiced just how much the older trusted the officer, and Papyrus couldn't stop the waterfall of pride and joy that was flooding his soul upon hearing Sans say such a thing. It was said nonchalantly, but held more meaning than either male could really comprehend at the moment as the light ahead of them flashed a bright green and made the cop kick the car back into gear with a large smile planted on his features.

Papyrus felt as though nothing could sour his mood this day as he pulled the car into his most trusted tailors lot and checked his person for his wallet before smiling at Sans and gesturing for the two to get out of the car once again.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

He was wrong. Papyrus thought with a frown as his knee bounced up and down, the rest of his form still and grounded on a plush beige sofa that was off to the side of a standing platform in silence. His orange eyes were squinted into a glare as he watched Sans stand with his arms in the air, another males own arms wrapped around his middle with a roll of measuring tape in his hands.

The officers usual and elderly tailor had apparently retired, so his son was now in charge of the store. Which wouldn't of been an issue if he wasn't a twenty year old, handsome, and very touchy man.

Papyrus knew that it was the mans job to measure out his customers, and to do so it was virtually impossible to not do without some kind of physical contact. But good lord, the blonde fumed as he watched the man stand in front of Sans and reach his hands around his bottom, hands touching the snow haired males butt before writing the size down.

It also would of been a lot easier for the teenager to watch if Sans was simply shy and nervous about the situation, which would of then made the officer hold his hand or request to do the measurements himself, but no. The two were talking as if they had known one another for years as Sans made the slightly older man laugh at yet another clothing based pun.

"And there we are, I've got you all measured." Papyrus let out a sigh of relief, clearing his throat harshly however as the action prompted the two others to look in his direction. "Now all I need is what kinda suit you're looking for and it's colors."

"paps?" Sans asked for guidance as the taller opened his mouth to respond, only to ground his teeth from their spot in his mouth as the man interrupted him as he grabbed a small color pallet.

"I'm thinking blue. Light blue, definitely. It matches your eye and also compliments your hair color." The man spoke with a smile as the shorter simply shrugged in turn.

"whatever works. i honestly don't see myself wearing this too often."

"Well that's a shame. I have no doubt that you'll look both adorable and handsome in this suit."

Papyrus couldn't deny that he felt the need to strike the tailor as he made Sans blush and chuckle softly. This was not how he was hoping this experience would of went down.

"And in regards to what kind of suit, I'm thinking a white dress shirt, light blue vest and tie, as well as some black dress pants? You would look good in a blazer, but honestly I feel like your a less is more kinda person." The man commented as Sans nodded in agreement.

"yup. that sounds good. to me at least, how about you papyrus?"

"I THINK YOU WOULD LOOK GOOD IN ANYTHING." The blonde finally spoke as he stood up and walked towards the two, smiling a little wider as he noticed his own words had made a light blue hue cover his friends nose. A hint of pride swelled in his chest as he shot the now slightly frowning male a glance of warning. "SO IT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU!"

"thanks... um, so ya i'll go with that." Sans nodded up at the tailor in agreement who nodded in agreement before writing the decision down and smiling, albeit a little forced this time with the tall officer looming over his figure.

"Well that's it then. How soon are you hoping to get this piece?" He asked.

"TONIGHT IF POSSIBLE." Papyrus responded as he helped Sans back into his parka, the man nodded in understanding as he then walked the two up to the cash desk and negotiated a price with the taller male as the shorter one walked over to his candy bowl and took a caramel treat.

Once the first half of the article was paid off and a time for pick up was given to the men, they promptly left the tailor and once again entered the blondes car. Both letting out sighs of relief as the sizing had taken up a good hour of their time. "so, where to next?"

"HOW ABOUT WE GO TO THE BOOK STORE? WE HAVE A FEW HOURS TO KILL AFTER ALL." The taller suggested as he started up the car and simply left it in park until the two made a final decision on where their day would go next.

"if you want. i mean, i like readin' but i've never seen you read? wouldn't wanna bore you." Sans responded with a smile of his own as the taller shook his head wildly.

"NONSENSE! I ENJOY SIMPLY SEEING YOU HAPPY. SO TODAY IS COMPLETELY UP TO YOU, SANS!"

The shorter paused for a moment as he looked into his friends eyes, the trust that the two shared filled the air and made Sans, for just a moment, think that there was nothing in this world that could keep the two font named characters apart.

"heh. well, thanks." The older started as he finally moved his eyes off of Papyrus and instead locked them onto his hands, which were now fiddling with the hem of his shirt. "but you being happy makes me happy. so, i guess you have to pick our next location."

"NYEH HEH! WELL I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO GO AND PICK UP A BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR ALPHYS. THE BOOK STORE IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR THAT!" And with that, Sans sent the taller character a knowing glance that went ignored in good fun as the blonde then pulled the two back onto the road and headed off towards their next destination. Sans couldn't even bring himself to be upset with the taller's far too obvious actions that leaned towards the shorter's own happiness as he stared up at Papyrus' beaming smile at having won the small altercation.

The officer didn't seem like one to budge after making up his mind after all, so the injured male wasn't about to press as he simply leaned into his seat and waited for the other to bring them to their next destination.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A single pupil almost seemed to take a star shape as the character attached to the orb hugged two large books close to his chest, protecting the textbooks from any harm as a hum of content poured from the males throat. Papyrus himself simply had a bag filled with manga in his own hands, but the blondes focus was landed solely on the character to his left as they exited the large bookstore and re-entered the officers car.

Sans wasted no time in buckling himself in and then opening the book closest to his chest, letting the other simply rest on his lap as he payed his taller companion no mind. The blue orb was lit up in pure delight as he skimmed over the information and pictures of stars that were presented to him, fingers gently flipping through the pages as to avoid crinkling the sheets and filling his mind with as much information as he could before he would have to set the novel down and continue his day with Papyrus.

Which made hanging with his friend sound like a chore, the older man thought to himself with a mental frown as he closed the book with only a hint of regret before looking over at the still silent driver. "thanks. for the books, i mean."

"OF COURSE! I AM GLAD YOU LIKE THEM, NYEH HEH!" The blonde smiled as he gave the shorter a quick glance before the orange eyes planted themselves back onto the road. "I DIDN'T KNOW YOU LIKED SPACE SO MUCH."

"heh. uh, ya. i love it." The shorter shrugged with a small blush, books once again being hugged close to his form. "but what did you get for alphys?"

"MANGA! SHE REALLY ENJOYS SUCH BOOKS, AS WELL AS ANIME. THANKFULLY THE STORE HAD SOME MORE LIMITED EDITION ITEMS I COULD GRAB HER. I JUST HOPE SHE DOESN'T ALREADY HAVE THEM." Papyrus explained as the other nodded along, not completely sure on what the blonde was talking about but he was trying to limit his questions. If anything, he could ask Alphys later. She sounded as though she would be happy to explain what her two interests entailed after all.

"that sounds cool. but why did you get them again?"

"FOR HER BIRTHDAY. IT'S NEXT WEEK!"

"oh nice..." Sans paused for a moment to bite at his lip before sighing. "whats a birthday?"

Papyrus was silent for a moment before coughing and giving Sans a quick look. The man immediately regretted asking his question as the taller shot him a look of pity mixed with surprise. It showed the astrology lover that he had only served to remind Papyrus about his past and how he wasn't actually deemed to be a normal person.

It made the man feel sick to his stomach to think that everyone he knows also know about his childhood. Which in turn would make it impossible for anyone to think of him as anything less than a basket case who deserves everyone's pity, but in reality the twenty year old simply wanted everything from before meeting the Dreemur's to be erased completely from everyone's minds.

"A BIRTHDAY IS A ONCE OF YEAR CELEBRATION THAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY YOU WERE BORN. DO... DO YOU KNOW WHAT DAY YOU WERE BORN?" The male asked softly as Sans sighed once again. He really should of just kept his mouth shut, the snow haired man would of preferred being confused over being treated like a child.

"naw." Was all the man spoke as he tapped his fingertips against the textbooks cover, syncing the noise with the soft tune radiating from the radio while doing so. "but that's fine. i don't really need a birthday."

"OF COURSE YOU NEED A BIRTHDAY! OH, HOW ABOUT WE USE THE DAY I FOUND YOU?" Papyrus asked suddenly, making the shorter's forehead crinkle in confusion. "I MEAN, I DOUBT THAT IT IS YOUR ACTUAL BIRTHDAY. BUT IT WAS A RATHER BIG DAY FOR YOU!"

"that's true... ya, that could work. what day was that even?" The blonde shot Sans a disapproving glance, smiling however when the shorter simply shrugged and gave him a cheeky look in turn.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DON'T REMEMBER THE DATE! IT WAS THE FIRST OF APRIL. OH! THAT ALSO MEANS WE MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY! WE NEED TO CELEBRATE IT!"

"no way, you guys threw a party that day. that's enough for me for a year." Sans responded softly with yet another shrug as Papyrys pouted in his seat.

"WELL I AM STILL GOING TO LET EVERY KNOW AND THEY WILL WANT TO DO SOMETHING FOR YOU! THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP IT!" The officer joked and smiled brightly as it prompted the male in the passenger seat to chuckle. It seemed as though Sans wasn't going to bother arguing on the matter any further as they pulled back into the tailors parking lot.

It took only a few moments for them to verify that the suit fit, a moment that Papyrus would recall over and over again as the image of Sans in a suit was enough to give him either nice or sexual dreams for the rest of the officers lifetime, and for the pun loving male to realize he hated wearing the formal attire. Papyrus didn't pressure him however as their dinning location for the evening wasn't formal, so they simply wrapped the newly constructed clothing in a thick plastic wrap before paying off the final fee and walking back outside.

The young officer hung the suit in the back of his car before settling himself back into the drivers seat and sighing loudly as he relaxed into the leather. "MY GOODNESS, THIS HAS BEEN A BUSY DAY! I HOPE I AM NOT OVERWHELMING YOU WITH ALL THIS..."

"nope. i'm fine. i'm actually having a really good time." A soft blue eye closed as Sans turned his head towards the blonde and smiled softly, when the orb finally did open after a beat the blonde couldn't help but notice that the light was hitting the eye in such a way that made the blue lighter than normal and made the cop swallow harshly before turning his attention back to the steering wheel.

"I'M GLAD THEN! THAT WAS MY AIM FOR THE DAY AFTER ALL!" Papyrus boasted with a laugh as he pulled back onto the road, gloved hands gripping the wheel in front of his person tightly while he drove on the busy street. "BUT IT ISN'T FINISHED YET!"

Sans nodded softly in agreement as he leaned his cheek against the window to his right and closed his orb, body unused to such activity and making him feel rather sluggish. He wasn't about to tell Papyrus this though, and instead was going to hope that he could fit a quick nap in before they reached the restaurant.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sound of silence is what woke Sans up from his slumber, prompting the male to yawn as he pried his cheek off of the now drool covered window before bringing up a hand to wipe away at his now crust filled eye.

Once the orb was free of the debris the man gave a confused glance to the cars drivers seat, which aside from a wallet and phone, was completely empty. Papyrus was nowhere in sight, but Sans didn't bother with growing any fear as he simply looked around at the surroundings around the car rather than it's interior, where he noticed with a small noise of acknowledgement that Papyrus was speaking to a hidden figure.

They were parked on a random deserted street with only a few stores around, but it mainly seemed to be closed down shops now that Sans really looked. It was odd and reminded the teenager of when he had run away a few nights ago and stranded himself, but aside from Papyrus and a figure that he couldn't see past the large street light in the way, there didn't seem to be anyone else in sight.

Maybe Papyrus saw someone he knows and simply paused their day to speak with them? Sans asked himself through another yawn as he leaned back in his seat, only to laugh softly as he noticed the blondes blazer was wrapped around his front in a blanket of sorts. Sans gently ran his hands over the smooth material before folding it with care and placing it on the dashboard in front of him. The short man then allowed another yawn to pass his lips as he stretched his arms into the air and crack his back loudly.

Sans groaned gently as the cracks sounded through the air and only served to hurt the males bones even more due to how he had been sleeping for the past while. The white haired male brought his hands up to run it along his shoulder blades as two pale lips smacked together idly, eye browsing around the contents of the car until Papyrus returned.

It was taking him quite awhile, Sans thought with yet another yawn as he leaned back in his seat and looked over at the direction his driver had been in just moments before only to make a small noise of confusion upon noticing the man was nowhere in sight. A loud and sudden noise made the man jump in his seat as he looked for it's source, only to sigh in relief upon seeing that it was just the trunk at the back of the car opening.

The injured male assumed Papyrus was simply putting something away as he leaned back into his seat once again, arms crossed above his chest as he allowed his eye to close softly in relaxation. Sans listened as the drivers door opened and shut hastily again before re-opening his orb and smiling over at the blonde, only for his face to loose all color as he realized the character to his left wasn't Papyrus.

The man was tall with a mop of black hair adorning the top of his head, glasses perched on his ears and nose, and two different colored orbs. But those weren't features that Sans was bothering to take in as he had seen this man before. He had seen this man everyday for the past twenty years.

"d-dad?" The mans deep voice pierced the air in a mere mutter, the male attached to the voice was shaking uncontrollably in his seat as the elder man simply did up his seat belt and kick started the car back to life with a flick of the key in the ignition. "what... wheres papyrus?"

"You two seem awfully close." Sans jumped as the man finally spoke, his tone almost lazy as the car got back onto the road. "I'm surprised you would allow yourself to fall victim to a monster so easily. I thought I taught you better."

"wha-? no." Sans stated as firmly as he could as he pressed his back against the door beside him and squeezed on it's handle as if preparing his body to jump out at any given moment. "he's not a monster. you are, you psychopath!"

"That is no way to speak to your father." Gaster practically growled, making the short tense once again in fear. "I think you need to be retaught on just who you belong to."

"i... no... please..." The younger couldn't even fight back verbally as tears built up in his orb and his heart began beating a mile a minute in his chest. "w-wheres papyrus?"

Sans had prepared himself for this. He had stayed up for hours on end rehearsing what he was going to say to the man who had made his life a living hell, mind going over insults and threats in confidence that he would be able to voice such things when the situation to use the words finally arrived.

But that was all thrown out of the window as his eye locked onto the man before him, the other empty socket burning in warning as his hand not clasped around the doors handle was tightening around his seat belt.

He was scared. He was confused. But he also wanted to make sure Papyrus was safe more than anything.

"did you hurt him?!" Gaster tsked as he steered the car in a straight line on the road, eyes locked onto the road rather than his son as he continued to drive.

"He isn't harmed. Only unconscious."

"where is he...?"

"In the trunk. Honestly I don't understand why you care about him so much. You have me again, love." Sans felt a swell of vomit pool in his stomach at the mans tone, mind trying to keep up with just what was happening as he tried to mentally plan out an escape route. "And I am never letting you go again. My precious, boy. How scared you must of been when they took you away..."

The shorter couldn't speak anymore as the tears threatening to escape his orb finally broke though and cascaded down his cheek, sobs leaving his mouth with every panic induced breath he tried to take in. "I think I should put a collar on you, my love. Keep you leashed in your room."

"n-no..." The elder man didn't seem to care that the other was having a panic attack, but instead he focused on the gravel ahead in silence. "please... just let papyrus go..."

A foot slammed on the cars break, making the car jolt to a sudden stop and the leather belt dig into Sans' chest. The younger just about squealed in shock and pain as he took this opportunity to not think but to instead act. Small hands made quick work of undoing his seat belt before grabbing the door, only to stop as a pair of thin appendages grabbed his wrists and pulled him deeper into the vehicle. "no!"

"My love, why are you fighting me?!" The mans tone took on a more vicious octave as his hands tightened around the shorter's wrists, making more tears and noises of pain to pool out of the already injured male. "Why aren't you happy?! I finally have you back, and all you want to do is whine for Papyrus?!"

"ah! it hurts!" Sans screamed as the bones under his wrists skin ground together, purple hues already beginning to form around the mans hand on the shorter's pale skin.

"You constantly think you can do whatever you please... I should of taught you better..." At this point, Gaster was speaking more to himself than Sans as the younger tried to pull his arms out of the tight hold. A foot was eventually brought up and pressed against the taller's chest, Sans then pushed against the man with all of his strength as panic induced screams started to form in the air. "..."

Gaster didn't speak on the action as he simply tightened his hold, transferring both of the small and weak hands into one of his own while using the other to reach into his coats inner pockets. Sans immediately recognized the needle that was pulled out and frantically began kicking his feet in defense as the sharp metal neared the skin of his forearm.

"stop! get the fuck away from me!" Teeth parted as the screams got louder, a small part of Sans wishing someone would hear him and come to the rescue but a quick glance out of the window assured the male of his fate as not a single soul was in sight. And even if he did manage to get away, how was he to get a sleeping Papyrus out of the trunk and safely away?

The thoughts were stopped as the needles tip finally pierced his skin before it's contents were plunged into his veins. Once the entirety of the syringe was inside of the shorter, Gaster finally let him go and cooed almost mockingly as the sudden release made Sans crash his skull against the window.

Delirious and without any last shred of hope left, Sans finally stopped his struggles and simply allowed his body to go limp in the seat. His blue orb was taking things in longer than his body was able to function and he could only watch with one last tear falling from his eye as his father resumed his journey on the road and whistled a song that he had only sung when the white haired male was a child.

It was a melody that never ended well. It was the same beat that had made him so submissive to the adult in the first place, and as it lulled Sans into a most likely nightmare infused sleep, the twenty year old could only pray that he could give himself a quick death before his father could get his hands back on the young mans form.

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Tbc.

Sorry about the wait and for the fact that I didn't have time to proof read this chapter! My pain medication made it almost impossible to be awake so I've been practically dead for two weeks. But I'm back in it now and I hope you guys are enjoying where I am taking this story!~


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